Mafia
by crasyducky
Summary: Kaoru, a young beauty just out of school, works at a flower shop on the corner of pain and misery. Kenshin, a member of a nutoriouse group in the mafia, is dark and handsom. Both, Despite their emence hate for each other, become involved with each other.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Rurouni kenshin some guy in some place does.

A/N: OK I'm going to be forward with you, I don't like flames and I love reviews. I wont pressure you into reviewing but I would appreciate your comment. If I right some thing to offend you or something you have written and feel I cannot use it contact me @ Crasyducky@aol.com, but if you email me make sure you right something recognizable in the subject box or I will not read it. On to the story.

Chapter: 1

The beginning 

Kaoru was a fresh young beauty just out of high school. She was searching for a good job and a respectable husband to settle down with. But in the mean time she was having fun out on the town every night and working a full-time job at a quaint little flower shop at the corner of pain and misery.  This cute little flower shop is a popular place to buy flowers for any occasion, weddings, Valentines Day, or just to say 'I love you'. Tough this happy, loving place was a good atmosphere for love to blossom Kaoru had shut her heart to all who came knocking. She refused to love after a bad experience but she needed a husband nonetheless, if she wanted to be accepted by her family and friends. Kaoru worked with two other women. One was Takani Megumi who worked there part-time while still in medical school working for Dr. Gensai (a/n: is that the right spelling?), and the other was Mikamachi (a/n: going out on a limb there) Misao, who currently is working full-time and is looking for a rich husband to pay for every whim and desire she can think up in her little head.

Every day Kaoru comes to work at 6:00 AM and works till 12:00 were she gets a hour break from the busy little shop. Then she comes back to work till 5:00 PM and goes home only to go back out on the town for a little fun with her buds. Every day seemed the same but kaoru constantly kept a smile on her face. Weather her day was going perfectly or she felt like if some one merely asked the time she would crumble into a state of depression. She always smiled even when Misao frowned; Kaoru was there with her never-ending happiness. 

Kaoru spent most of her time at the shop so in time she learned to love her fellow co-workers and the regular guests. She was a best friend with Megumi and Misao in no time. Kaoru also had some regular customers that she knew very well.  Sanosuke Sagara came in one day to buy some flowers for . . . no one, actually he thought Megumi was cute so he came in to talk to her, ended up buying 4 dozen of Megumi's favorite flowers. He comes in at least once every day to see every one. Him and Megumi have been going steady for a month now. But there is one thing wrong with this cute little set up. 

Behind this shop some shady fellows hang out. Kaoru has shed some light onto them by "accidentally" listening to their conversation once. She found that there were three men who would gather there every other day. One constantly kept a strait face and was extremely tall another was shorter but always had a smile, usually fake, plastered on his face, and the third was the shortest, with wild red hair and violet eyes. They usually walked behind the shop and conversed in the dark alley sending creepy vibes out to scare any one who dare pass the alley.

One day Kaoru decided she would pay them a visit. "I'll just offer them some tea, maybe I can convince them to move their business else where and not scare off out costumers." Kaoru said to the doubtful Megumi and Misao. They looked to each other and shook their heads at Kaoru, she was definitely way to friendly she needed to realize not every one takes kindly to Kaoru's ways. But they couldn't stop the determined girl. She walked out into the alley with a teapot and cups on a tray. She smiled and turned the corner to find not three but four figures. They immediately stopped talking when she turned the corner. They all glared at her as she cocked her head at their weird behavior. 

"Hello," Kaoru said sweetly. They continued to stare at her trying to give her the 'I hate you' vibe, Kaoru brushed it off and took a step closer. She noted what they were wearing incase she would have to report it to the police later. The tall one was dressed in a leather trench coat with pitch-black sunglasses. The continually smiling one had a dark blue trench coat barely on with a deep red Gi on underneath, he seemed to be the friendliest judging by the bright colors. And the shortest was wearing a black Gi with black sunglasses on that shined silver in the light (a/n: hmmm . . .*drool*).  All three had swords. The fourth was tall but Kaoru could not see him, the light did not go that far into the alley. But it seemed he looked up to her direction and walked into the light saying:

"Jou-chan, what are you doing here?" Kaoru nearly dropped her tray when she saw him.

"Sanosuke! What . . .," kaoru couldn't finish her sentence. She just stood there dumbfounded. 'Sanosuke! He, he meets back here with this riffraff!' Kaoru thought. Sano walked over to her and turned her around.

"Jou-chan, you really shouldn't be here. Why don't you go arrange some flowers why don't you?" Sano whispered in her ear. Kaoru hated when he did that, it tickled.

"No Sano, I just wanted to offer you and your . . . friends . . . some tea and maybe we could sit down and discuss what you all do back here." Kaoru said. They all turned to look to her interested in the tea but not the talking. Misao walked up behind kaoru, she was there to see what all the screaming was about. Misao looked from sano to kaoru, Misao smiled, she always thought that Sano was smitten with Kaoru. Then Misao's green eyes landed on him. Gorgeous, he was absolutely gorgeous, he had black hair and icy blue eyes. He was expressionless but that just made Misao want to show him how to live, how to feel, and how to love. She felt the urge to run her hands through his hair, trying to teach him compassion. And those abs! Misao just stood there staring at him, making him feel odd inside. A smile grew on her lips as she thought more and more about him.

"Would any one like some tea?" Kaoru asked as Sano poured himself a cup of tea. Kaoru poured three other cups and handed one to the tallest man one to the smiling man and one to the red haired man.  "Again, hello my name is Kamiya Kaoru, nice to meet you all." Kaoru said. They nodded sipping tea.

"Hello. I'm . . . Misao. Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Misao asked.

"Himura Kenshin" said the red-headed one.

"Shinomori Aoshi" replied the tall one.

"Seta Soujiro, nice to meet you."  The smiling one said happily. After the introduction there followed an awkward silence.

"So what do you do back here all the time?" Misao piped up, she didn't know why but she wanted to know all about this Aoshi. Kaoru couldn't keep her eyes off the one called Kenshin, his hair was so intriguing and she could stare into his eyes all day! But the most peculiar thing was the cross shaped scare on his right cheek. She wanted to touch it, then she laughed at herself and thought the very notion was childish but it was tempting. She hadn't realized that they were talking, she came back to reality and found that this conversation was boring. The men were just making up an excuse, she could tell, she just knew.

"Well, we were just discussing politics" Soujiro said. 'Yea politics, no one is interested in that.' he thought.

"Really do tell," Kaoru said with a challenging sparkle in her eye. Kenshin saw this and instantly began to pay attention to what was happening. This was going to get good, he knew it because she knew they were lying but he wouldn't give up the fight.

"We were just talking about how the Mafia is spreading toward this part of the town, we are just trying to keep citizens like you safe." Kenshin said.

" Really, if you don't mind me asking, how do you expect to keep the entire Mafia away from this growing town?" Kaoru asked

" Well the Mafia may be large, but only a select few are smarter than the average bum." Kenshin said with a sparkle in his eye.

" But the Mafia is to big for only four men to handle, and besides you have met here since before this shop was built, the Mafia isn't interesting enough to talk about it that much." Kaoru said. Kenshin smirked.

"Oh, but it is." He said giving a hint, though Kaoru couldn't tell what he meant she knew it wasn't going to be good for her to figure out. But she was strong willed and thick headed.

"What are you getting at?" Kaoru asked taking a step closer to him.

"Nothing at all, I am merely telling you the truth," kenshin said stepping closer as well. A high-pitched whistle rang through the streets of Kyoto and Aoshi, Soujiro, and Kenshin looked to the sky. "Farewell, we must leave. We shall meet again." Kenshin said as Aoshi, Soujiro and him disappeared. Kaoru looked around baffled by the absence of her new challenge, she loved a good challenge. Kaoru shrugged and brought the tea inside. It was late almost 5 and no one was around so she decided to close shop. She put the money in a bag locked the register and turned on the security system while locking the door. She turned down the street and took a left. She walked down the block and took a right, she walked through the door of the bank and was surprised to see all the lights off. She looked around trying to find a light switch. Once she did she flipped it upward only to see a notorious villain who had been plaguing the town for months.

Kaoru took a few steps closer until he heard her light footsteps and swung around. He glared at her from behind his mask. He was wearing a Matrix trench coat (a/n: can you tell I love trench coats?) with a black beanie and a black mask, which turned his eyes white. He smiled with his white crooked teeth gleaming in the light. He pointed his gun to her head while walking closer to her.

"Hands in the air pretty lady." the crook said. He began walking faster toward her; though a gun was pointed at her she did not show fear. Actually she was smiling a sweet smile, one that would be used when given a compliment or when you do something right for the first time. Kaoru looked this tall man straight in the eye almost glaring but not totally. This man didn't appreciate one of his victims smiling as if they knew something he didn't. "Look woman, I could kill you this very instant, if I were you id do as I say and raise your hands!" The angry man said. Every one in the room began smiling with their hands in the air. They were to afraid to lower their hands but they could help support Kaoru by smiling. This angered the man further until he raised his gun toward the ceiling and shot a hole through it. "the next person who smiles is getting the same treatment as the ceiling" the man said as a piece of ceiling dropped and crashed to the floor crashing the hopes of people keeping there money along with it.

Kaoru slowly began to raise her hands, his smile grew wider and wider. The higher she raised them the wider his smile got. She got half way up when she quickly moved to the side grabbing a broom she quickly unscrewed the broom part leaving only the wooden stick. Kaoru jumped just as his trigger finger twitched shooting a bullet at the spot she was just seconds ago. She raised the stick over her head and swung it down with all her might right on top of his head. The man staggered a bit and fell to the ground in a large black heap. Kaoru landed nimbly , back faced toward her target,  smiling from her victory. She reached in her pocket and whipped out her cell phone. Dialing '911' she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello, hi, there is a man here trying to rob this bank. Yes im at 5/2 bank on the corner of I'm and Hurt. Thank you," Kaoru said as she hung up the phone walking up to the open window. Everyone moved again acting as if nothing happened. Kaoru deposited the money from the store, just as she walked out the police came. Kaoru picked the man up and walked out into the open air. She shook a cops hand and lay the man down on the cement 'accidentally' bumping his head on the sidewalk. "Oh, didn't mean to. This is the man who attempted robbing the bank, in self-defense I knocked him out." Kaoru said as the she left the amazed cop standing, mouth open, dumbfounded. Kaoru walked back down the street called hurt, until she got to the road called maimed were she stopped to walk through the park. Yes, it was a detour but she loved doing this and she could use the exercise.

After walking trough the park for a while she comes upon the spot her and Enishi had their . . . violent break up.  All the unpleasant memories came flooding back and a rush of emotions came over her like a tidal wave. 

* * *

_"Enishi, I am so sorry, but I can't stay with you my love."_

_"Kaoru, why? I love you, you love me, can't you just move to Nevada with me?"_

_"I'm sorry but I can't leave my family, the budget is getting tight and they need me to keep food on the table."_

_"Kaoru your coming with me, I have to go to Nevada for work and I can't live with out you or my job!"_

_"I know, Enishi, I know but my family needs me so much now. Maybe when you come back we can pursue this relationship further but now isn't a good time."_

_"I don't care when it's a good time for you! You are coming with me now or things will turn ugly!" Enishi said as he slapped her across the face bitterly. Kaoru fell to the floor, looking at all the worried faces surrounding her. No one moved a muscle to try to help her. Enishi kicked her viciously while she was on the ground. She curled up in the fetal position holding her now bruised stomach. _

_"Get up woman!" Enishi cried. Kaoru stood up shaking from the coming cold and her suddenly abusive boyfriends attacks. He punched her three times in the stomach and hit a horrid elbow attack to the back of the neck. She luckily turned her head just enough that he missed a fatal blow but, she wasn't able to miss the fatal blow and get knocked out from this horrible nightmare. She stayed conscience through a few more kicks but then it stopped. She was being saved; a man was fighting Enishi, and appeared to be winning. He was able to defeat Enishi leaving him wounded but able o walk only to have Enishi move to Nevada for good knowing someone out there cared about Kaoru and would risk his life for her. Kaoru never caught his name or even what he looked like because after the awesome spectacle she was unconscious only to wake up in a hospital bed three days later._

* * *

Kaoru shuttered at the thought. 'Because of him I never want to love again. I need a steady husband but not a steady lover. Not only did that attack teach me not to trust the dirty male race but, it taught me that I need self-defense. Thanks to him if any one tries to attach me like that again he's got another thing coming.' Kaoru thought bitterly as she sat down on a bench deep in thought. As if a male god himself were upset by these thoughts a man sat down gingerly next to Kaoru. He was dressed in a black Gi and black sunglasses that shined silver in the light. 'Wait a minute I've seen that before . . .' Kaoru thought as she looked up to see Kenshin.

"Kenshin?" kaoru asked, not really remembering if that was his name. But, who could forget that hair and those eyes and . . . this list could go on forever. He looked toward her eyeing her suspiciously.

"Are you ok?" he asked a little forward, to forward for Kaoru's tastes. She glared at him.

"And what do you mean by that?" Kaoru asked angrily. Kenshin shook his hands infront of him with his eyes closed and him smiling.

"Miss Kaoru I didn't mean anything by it you are just . . . I thought  . . . well you are crying." Kenshin said handing her a handkerchief.  She took it slowly not sue of what he was talking about but once she brought it to her eyes she realized it was wet and so was her cheek. She was crying, I guess she is just emotional when thinking about him.

"Thank you, I didn't realize I was . . ." Kaoru stopped and began to laugh at how pathetic she was. Kenshin chuckled a little also but soon stopped. "What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin looked at her and cocked his head a little to the side.

'She doesn't know? I'm supposed to meet some one here to give me the smuggled ex. to give to the boss. It has to be her she is sitting at the same bench I was specifically assigned to wait at. She even came to the alley today I thought for sure she was there to talk to us. Damn.' Kenshin thought. "I'm waiting for some one. Why don't you just leave woman." Kenshin said his eyes giving way to a hint of amber when thinking of work. Kaoru looked shocked, first he is all nice and sweet then he is as mean as all get out!

"Excuse me? Why don't you leave MAN! Who gave you the right to talk to me like that?" Kaoru asked.

"I don't have time for you." kenshin said plain and simple.

"Maybe I don't have time for you Jerk!" Kaoru fumed.

"No need for name cal . . ." Kenshin started before being cut off by Kaoru.

"Jack ass!"

"Stubborn woman!"

"Bastard!"

"Bitch!"

"Dick!"

"Wench!"

"Piss off!" Kaoru said as she stood up ready to leave. He watched her as he hoped to dear god she didn't have the drugs he was looking for. He waited in the park for an hour more until he realized the person wasn't coming. Kaoru began walking home fuming at what Kenshin said to her, she hated that little erg. . . She couldn't stand him. She walked out of the park and walked down Maimed street until the intersection. After looking both ways she crossed and walked up her driveway to her house on the corner of Maimed and Twitch.  She put the key into the keyhole and turned it unlocking the house. She stepped in turned on the lights and started warming up a bath for herself. She heated up some left over Chinese food and ate while watching _That 70's Show._ The bath was warm enough in a few minutes she stripped of her clothes and settled into the hot water that matched her temper. She was still mad at Kenshin for calling her woman the way Enishi did in almost the exact same spot he beat her for the first and last time.

'How could he? Earlier today he seemed nice with an edge but now he is just like all the other men in my life, malevolence.' Kaoru thought. Kaoru washed up, and stepped out of the tub drying off and dressing into a thin, long pajama shirt. She walked to her room and fell asleep still angry with Kenshin. The next day she woke up refreshed and totally forgot about Kenshin. Kaoru stretched across her bed and smiled. She jumped up and dressed in a long sleeved white shirt underneath a red tee shirt with blue jeans. She wrapped her apron around her slim waist and over her head. She walked into the kitchen and started her coffee machine. She opened the cabinet and  got out a cereal box of peanut butter crunch. She poured herself a bowl and began eating it humming a nice little ditty. The coffee machine beeped and she stood up.

"Every morning I wake up! Take out my smiley face cup," Kaoru sang as she held her coffee cup with a smiley face on it as she poured some Foldgers coffee into her cup.

"Get a little pour from youuuuuuu!" Kaoru sang on the top of her lungs as her voice shook a little but it still sounded wonderful. Her neighbors always were silent when she sang; they loved it, and treasured it. She drank the strange substance in her coffee cup but enjoyed it nonetheless. Kaoru finished her cereal and brushed her teeth and hair into a ponytail. She walked out of her house to get the paper. Scanning the headlines for anything interesting she found that Kyoto was boring.  She walked next door to Sano's and knocked on the door. A few minutes later a groggy Sano stepped up to the door and opened the screen door to find a happy Kaoru.

"Hey Jou-chan, what's going on?" Sano asked. Kaoru smiled at him.

"Sober, I see." Kaoru said. She took one step into his house and took a whiff of the air in his house. "And you are not high, that's the third time this week. I'm proud of you." Kaoru said mockingly. Sano just looked at her like she was weird for checking him every morning to see if her was drunk or high.

"Look, Jou-chan just because I came into your shop once drunk and high and thrashed the place doesn't mean every morning you need to make sure I never have fun again." Sano said. Kaoru gave him the paaalease look. Sano smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "You have to admit that me being sober isn't as fun as when im drunk." Sano said as Kaoru smiled and laughed. She nodded but gave him a stern look.

"That doesn't mean you can be drunk or high or both when in our shop! Got that? By the way ill be paying that kenshin guy a visit today so tell him to shape up or ship out!" Kaoru said becoming mad again. Kaoru stepped outside and it began to our. Not just a light sprinkle but a down pour like the heavens opened up and dumped all the water up there down here. Suddenly the streets had an abundance of water and there was a flash flood warning.  Kaoru was about to walk home but Sano pulled her back inside.

"What do you think your doing?" Sano asked as Kaoru asked the same question to him. "Jou-chan, im going to sound like my mother but, you'll catch your death out there." Sano said.

A/N: OK do you like it?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter: 2 Chapter 2  
  
A/N: I don't think ill get many reviews I just love writing this story.  
  
"What do you think your doing?" Sano asked as Kaoru asked the same question to him. "Jou-chan, im going to sound like my mother but, you'll catch your death out there." Sano said. He smiled at her as he pulled her in side and looked at her wet form. She was wet head to toe as if she just jumped in a lake. He walked to his room not saying a word and pulled out a pink blouse. Kaoru looked at it and laughed she began to roll on the floor laughing.  
  
"Were did you get that? Why do you have that?" kaoru said laughing. Sano's checks flushed as she smiled menacingly.  
  
"Well, it was, a friends. Who left this behind when I stopped seeing her, I mean that friend." Sano said embarrassed. Kaoru smiled. She put it on and knew that that friend was a woman and not a taste full one either. This shirt was barely covering her she looked at sano.  
  
"I can't wear this, but it's all I have because I have to go to work and if im late again ill get fired! Sano, I hate you." Kaoru said as she put on her wet green apron with the yellow letters that read Flower shop. Sano grabbed one of his trench coats out of his closet and draped it over her shoulders. She pulled it tighter on her though it fell to the floor. "Thanks Sano, you always know what will make me forget you're a block head." Kaoru said as Sano pretended to look hurt. He smiled and grabbed a coat as well, they both walked out. "I thought you just woke up? Shouldn't you brush your hair or get dressed or something?' kaoru asked.  
  
"No, I am dressed and my hair is never brushed." Sano said as Kaoru looked disgusted. He laughed; they had good times together they always were laughing. Kaoru and sano began walking left until they reached the corner. Kaoru turned the corner and walked of the next corner into the local drug store CPR. She looked for some shampoo and conditioner. She bought it and walked out side, she undid her ponytail and flung her hair around. The rain was pouring so hard her hair was wet completely for the third time. She opened the shampoo and scrubbed her hair with it. Instantaneously the shampoo was washed out of her hair and she washed the conditioner in after. The conditioner was washed out also and she felt her silky hair.  
  
"Ahh. My hair feels great, do you want to wash your hair I mean it may help." Kaoru asked Sano. He shook his head but Kaoru didn't like that answer. She jumped on his shoulders and began working the shampoo in his hair. It rinsed out and he desperately tried to pry her off of his head. He pulled on her arms and legs trying to get her off but she clamped onto his head. She poured half of the remaining conditioner on his head so he would settle down but it made everything worse. Some people were running to get out of the rain, they were staring at kaoru and Sano out in the rain, washing their hair laughing and getting soaked to the bone despite the water proof clothes they had. The conditioner seeped off of his head seemingly evaporating off his head. The remains were a soapy mess of water that washed down the sewer. They were getting many strange looks though the rain was so heavy it was surprising any one could see.  
  
"Kaoru, hopefully its just the rain, but my hair wont bounce back up." sano said lifting the locks of hair that were flat on his head. Kaoru put her hand on his head (standing on her tippy toes) and shook her hand making his hair fly wildly. His hair just flopped down no matter how hard she tried to make it stick up again. Kaoru looked thoughtful as she sat down on the curb. Sano stood looking at her expecting a brilliant idea. Kaoru jumped up and ran into CPR looking down the hair care products isle again. She stopped in the section of gel. She scanned the rack looking for the right combination of words.  
  
"Strong hold, no, permanent stay, no, undying seize, no, enduring clasp, no, CEMENT CLUTCH! That's it." Kaoru said. She picked up the small bottle with clear blue-ish goop inside. Sano tried again to make his hair stand straight again but it was to wet. Kaoru looked at him and his pitiful hair so she ran to the school supplies section. She ran to the glue section and found the clear blue kind so it wouldn't turn white or anything. "The combination of this, regular Elmer's School Glue and this, Cement clutch will guarantee your hair to stay in place for over 12 hours. The gel will hold your hair in place and the glue will keep it in the air." Kaoru said as she walked to the cash register to pay. Sano put down a 10$ bill and they both walked out into the rain. It had let up some so they decided to walk to her work.  
  
They walked across the street until they got to the corner. There they turned left onto suffering street and crossed. They walked down to Pain drive and walked over to the Shop. They were soaking wet when they stumbled into the shop laughing. They drew every one's attention so they quietly slipped to the back room giggling and shushing each other the whole way. They walked to the back and Kaoru grabbed three towels. One she put around her neck one she put around Sano's neck and the other she draped over his head. She rubbed the towel on his head as fast as she could. His hair was drying fast and she was getting cold from the 'cold room', as they called it, were they put the flowers to preserve them. Kaoru lifted the towel and laughed. She took off her cold drenched trench coat and Sano did the same laughing as he looked in to a mirror. Half his hair was sticking up, but barely, it soon flopped down.  
  
"I'm having such a bad hair day. Ok Kaoru, do your worst." Sano said sitting down so Kaoru didn't have to reach to get to his noggin. Kaoru smiled brazenly as she whipped out the products. She put a bunch of glue on his head and rubbed it in a little. She shaped his hair to stick up in large spikes. Sano looked into the mirror and saw two things, his hairstyle that was perfect, and Kaoru's smile that was not a good sign. She threw in the gel and smiled at her creation. It looked exactly the same as it always did and his hair smelled great. Kaoru backed away and Sano stood up.  
  
"Thanks Kaoru, I appreciate it. My hair . . ." Sano said as he felt his head. "Feels, disgusting!" He screamed as he pulled his hand away and whipped it on Kaorus wet cold cloths. She glared at him as she pushed him away. Then something hit her.  
  
"Hey, Sano What happens to your friends on these days? Were do they go?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Well they, um, stay in the rain I guess." Sano said. Kaoru didn't like that idea; they would catch a cold.  
  
"Tell them they are welcome in the shop. I mean yes, I hate that Kenshin guy, but im not heartless." Kaoru said. Sano smiled at her, she was so different. One minute she is running in the rain, washing her hair and the next she is inviting strangers into her shop. Sano was so lost in thought he didn't realize her get up and walk to the door; she slowly opened the big steel door that leads to the back alley. She looked to her left then to her right trying to find those scary yet charming people (except Kenshin!). She had to squint just to see a few feet in front of her because the rain let up but fog had settled in. The fog was so thick she brought her hand up to her face and couldn't see it.  
  
"Well, we aren't getting any consumers today, unless they can see through this horrific fog." Kaoru said laughing at her self for coming into work today. 'The one day I care if im late people probably wont be able to buy flowers unless they call and ask us to deliver which wont happen.' Kaoru thought dismally. "Hey creepy guys who converse in the back alley, are you there?" Kaoru called despite Sanos attempt to shut her up. He had tried to put his hand over her mouth but she just pulled it off and kept talking. "If you want you can come into the shop for some tea. I'm sure its nasty having to be out on a day like this." Kaoru said to the air. "Maybe they aren't there today." Kaoru said to Sano. She remained in the same spot with her head sticking out the door for a few more minutes.  
  
She slowly closed the door when she realized some one was holding the door. Some one had put their hand in the way of it shutting so she opened the door again. She saw the blurry face of Soujiro, the kindest one of the group. 'And the only one with common sense to get out of the blurry rain.' kaoru thought. She smiled sweetly to him and invited him in. Behind him came Aoshi then after a few minutes Kenshin emerged from the smog like state outside. Kaoru had smiled to Aoshi who just looked at her and seemed to try to look further into the shop for someone.  
  
Kaorus little smiled soon turned to a little frown when Kenshin emerged from the out side. Once all of them were in the shop Kaoru Slowly made her way toward Sano. He was still sitting in the chair that Kaoru had done his hair in. Kaoru bent down a little and whispered into Sano's ear. "Sano, I am soaking wet so im going to see if there are some clothes I can change into. There is a teapot in the lounge could you boil some water for me? Thanks" Kaoru said before Sano could object. He stood up and grumbled the entire way to the small stove in the lounge. His friends were snickering, except Aoshi but she was laughing inside, at Sano who had to prepare tea for them.  
  
Kaoru was searching the shop for some clothes. She wasn't having much luck until she bumped into Misao. "He's here isn't he Kaoru?" Misao said enthusiastically.  
  
"Yes, how did you know?" Kaoru asked. This made Misao laugh.  
  
"Because I love him. I know when he is near, my heart tells me." Misao said dramatically. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"You heard me tell them they could come in didn't you?" Kaoru said smiling and looking at her with the 'do-you-think-I'm-stupid-or-something' look. Misao smiled and began to laugh while nodding. In turn Kaoru started laughing. 'Misao your hopeless' Kaoru thought.  
  
"So I heard that you and Sano were washing your hair in the rain and his hair wouldn't stay up so you gelled and glued it up. Kaoru you need to find your own man, Kenshin is . . ." Misao stopped at the threatening look Kaoru was giving her. Kaoru was envisioning herself hitting Misao with a stick until she was just a puddle. Kaoru smiled and laughed menacingly at this until she realized Misao was looking for an explanation for her sudden hate for 'he who must not be named in front of Kaoru'.  
  
"Yes, Sano and I ran in the rain, and yes I washed his and my hair, and yes it wouldn't stay up so I gelled and glued it in the right position. But, I do not like him that way. How could you think that? He loves Megumi and I don't love him. He's my friend; remember I was the one who helped him and Megumi get together. (Questioning look from Misao) I was his friend prior to his coming into the shop and he liked Megumi so I suggested to him to come into the shop." Kaoru said. Misao smiled.  
  
"Really, that's all fascinating but what about . . . well Kenshin?" Misao said flinching when she said his name expecting a hit on the head from kaoru. Kaoru was never good in the guy department; she was beauty but was oblivious to it. In high school Kaoru thought no one liked her because the guys loved her so the girls were envious. Sadly no one talked to her but a few close friends, because the guys were shy and the girls were mad. Then the Enishi incident happened so Kaoru has had her mind set on never being with a man for personal reasons. She only wants a husband so her parents will talk to her again. (A/N: back to the conversation sorry I got carried away.)  
  
"Kenshin . . . well, I don't have much time, Sano's expecting me, that doesn't mean . . . never mind, anyway. The other day I was at the park reliving painful memories in a certain part of the park. Kenshin was there and he was being extremely rude to me and I just think he's a Dick." Kaoru said wincing while reliving the moment.  
  
"Kaoru, that was to vague later you will give me all the details, but right now, Sano is waiting." Misao said while smiling and making a kissy face to Kaoru. Kaoru lightly hit Misao on the shoulder and continued her search for clothes. She finally found something. She walked to the bathroom locked the door just in case and stripped off her wet clothes. She sneezed and rolled her eyes 'great, not a good time for a cold.' kaoru thought.  
  
She put on the clothes, which were a white business shirt that would go under a blazer and a pair of dark gray pants (dickies!). The shirt was button down and she thought it was itchy so she unbuttoned the top two buttons and rolled up the sleeves. She opened up the cabinet, which was located behind the mirror, in the bathroom and found a towel. Her hair was still wet so she rubbed her hair until it was dry enough that her head didn't get cold. She slipped on her pants and walked out of the bathroom with her wet clothes in hand.  
  
She placed her wet clothes on a chair in the lounge. She went up to the stove and found the kettle whistling just as she reached it. She picked it up with a hot pad in hand and set it on the counter. She found six teacups set on a tray so she poured the hot water into them. Six different tea packets were set next to the cups. 'I guess they couldn't choose one. Hey, Misao's favorite tea is red tea, she must be out there with Aoshi.' Kaoru thought with a smile. She placed each different tea packet in each different cup. She nimbly lifted the tray and brought it to the back room were 5 people were seated.  
  
"Tea is ready." Kaoru said. She started at the right were Sano was sitting. She knew which one he wanted, she moved to the next person, Misao, Kaoru didn't even want to look at Misao because she knew she would be smiling the 'so-you-DON'T-like-him-right' smile. Misao received her red tea from an angry yet smiling Kaoru. She just lowered the tray for the others to take their own. Kaoru set down the tray realizing one was left. Her favorite kind was in it, ginseng, Sano must have done that for her.  
  
She set down her cup on the table where every one was sitting. As soon as she took one small sip the phone rang. Kaoru slowly stood and left to get the phone. She walked to the phone in the front of the shop incase some one was in the shop. It was like a barren wasteland, not a soul. It would have been eerie if the phone weren't ringing off the hook. She picked it up saying "hello, Flower Shop this is kaoru speaking. How may I help you?" the voice on the other line sounded uncomfortable and ill.  
  
"Kaoru. I can't come in today, I'm not feeling well." The voice was Megumi's.  
  
"That's ok Megumi. Don't worry about it. Do you want me to come by your house?" Kaoru asked, worried for her friend.  
  
"It would be nice if you could just go to CPR or some where and get me some soup." Megumi said.  
  
"Of course, but I can't leave Misao and Aoshi alone here. You know, I have the perfect person to go." Kaoru said hanging up the phone before Megumi could ask whom. Kaoru headed back to the back room and sat down. She took a sip of her tea and set it down. "Sano, Megumi is sick, I know you guys are in a fight and haven't talked for weeks but I can't leave. She wants a bowl of soup and some one to take care of her." Kaoru said to sano.  
  
"Why do I have to go take care of the fox?" Sano asked.  
  
"Don't ask questions, you are going to Megumi's weather you like it or not." Kaoru said.  
  
"But . . ." Sano started.  
  
"GO!" Kaoru replied in a calm but forceful tone. Sano folded his arms across his chest and stood up walking to the coat rack. He grabbed his trench coat and began walking out of the store. "Sano, grab 5$ out of my pocket to buy her something sweet. And if any more money is taken you'll regret it!" Kaoru yelled in the other room. Sano stuck his hand into the pocket of her jeans hanging on the chair and fished out a 5$ bill. He smiled thinking of an ill Megumi, that couldn't talk back, who was in his hands. He could see it now Megumi sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket awaiting his arrival to save the day.  
  
He walked out of the shop and with the cling of the door closing Kaoru took one last sip of her tea and stood up finding the conversation around her to be boring. "Thank you for inviting us into your shop Miss kaoru." Soujiro said. Kaoru began walking out of the room and just held her hand up signaling them that it was no big deal. Kaoru was very tired today she didn't feel like dealing with kenshin so she walked to the cash register. She stood behind it waiting for some one to come into the store. Not a soul, she stood there smile unwavering. She could hear the low voices of the men in the back and the hyper sounds of Misao. Kaoru picked up a magazine and began flipping through the pages.  
  
Kaoru was just waiting till Misao decided it was boring in there but Misao never came out to talk to Kaoru. 'Maybe she was right, maybe she is in love' Kaoru thought. The door behind her out of the blue swung open. Kaoru turned expecting to see Misao, but instead saw Kenshin. "Miss Kaoru, I was wondering were I could find the bathroom." He said. She looked back down to her magazine and pointed to a door on the left. Kenshin thanked her and walked into the bathroom. Inside instead of doing his 'business' he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and only heard a beeping noise. Kenshin sighed and put it back into his pocket. He stepped out of the bathroom seeing Kaoru bored absently flipping through a magazine. She obviously didn't want to be at work but couldn't go home now.  
  
Kaoru was beginning to rethink her idea about sending Sano to Megumi's; she should have gone. Unexpectedly a white rose was thrust infront of her face. Kaoru looked up to see kenshin holding a rose out to get her attention. He pulled it back and set it on the counter along with 6$. Kaoru looked puzzled. "Yes?" Kaoru asked him. He just smiled at her looking deep into her sapphire orbs.  
  
"I would like to buy this rose for some one I know who looks like she needs some cheering up." kenshin said. Kaoru looked confused but took two of his six dollars and put them in the cash register; sliding the other four back at him. He took the four and put it in his pocket and walked away leaving the lone rose on the counter. Kaoru stared at it and looked up to see he was gone. She picked it up and smelled it's sweet aroma. ' He is so sweet. I mean . . . Damn men confuse me.' Kaoru thought. Kaoru took out a pad of paper and a pen. She wrote upon it this:  
  
' Misao,  
  
Gone out for a few minutes. See you later. There has only been one customer today so don't worry. Hope everything with you and Aoshi goes well. Kaoru'  
  
Kaoru grabbed Sano's gigantic trench coat he gave her this morning and walked out of the shop. With the ting of the bell from the closing door Misao got up to work the shop, she found the note and blushed. She crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash. It was Misao's turn to be bored; she had to wait out of the back room so the men could talk. She wished she had come out here before so she could have made kaoru tell her the details of why she hated Kenshin. Kaoru walked down the street, she wanted to walk into the strip mall but she wasn't in the mood for shopping. Kaoru hated the rain. At least the fog was clearing up. The two things she hated were the rain and that certain spot in the park. She hated that spot in the park because of Enishi but the rain because of her mother and Father.  
  
*** Flash Back  
  
"That's the last straw Kaoru, why do you always have to screw up?" Kaoru's stepmother said. Five year-old Kaoru began to cry sitting in the sand box.  
Kaoru couldn't even make a mud pie good enough for her stepmother.  
  
"What did she do this time?" Kaoru's nani asked.  
  
"She fell down in the sand. She wants me to make her feel better by accepting this thing she calls a 'mud pie'." Her stepmother said. Her stepmother stormed out of the room. Kaoru's father was rich but died one stormy night when she was three. Only being five she still didn't know were her father was because she didn't understand the concept of death. Even though her stepmother had told her countless times he had died. Kaoru thought that he just wasn't home that the fire he died in was just a fire nothing more, to her he must have been off on a really long business trip in a place called heaven and he got there by travel of death; Ahh the innocent naive minds of children. Her father had married her stepmother when she was two but she was always nice because he was rich. Now that Kaoru was the heiress but was not old enough to claim it she was evil and constantly trying to make her give the inheritance to her.  
  
Kaoru grew up in a huge house with a nani and stepmother who hated her and wanted her dead. They also wanted her to marry some one so she could at least be out of the house. One night they hired a professional assassin to kill Kaoru. Though she barely escaped they thought she was dead. After not finding a body they were unable to claim her father's fortune. Until Kaoru turned 19 no one could. After the attempt to kill her she realized no one wanted her so she ran from home at the age of 10 one stormy night. She lived on the streets finding enough money every year to go to school. Freshman year she went to live in an orphanage until she could get a job. She then saved up her money only eating enough so she wouldn't die and wearing the same clothes until they ripped. Finally she had enough money for a small house on the corner of maimed and twitch. Her neighbor Sano helped her through her hard ships. Once she graduated she was 18 and found a job at the Flower Shop.  
  
*** End of Flash Back  
  
Her father died one rainy night and her stepmother attempted murder on her one rainy night. Rain is not her friend. Suddenly She knew were she wanted to go; she turned around and walked the other way down pain. She reached the corner and walked up misery. Then she walked across the street to I'm and reached the corner of I'm and hurt, right next to the bank. Then she walked down Hurt all the way across maimed street. She saw Megumi's house on the corner (maimed and hurt) and looked in the window to see how she was doing. Kaoru smiled when she saw Megumi and Sano on the couch watching a movie snuggled up together. Well really Megumi was watching the movie Sano was watching Megumi. He was about to lean in to kiss her when he spotted Kaoru out the window laughing at him. He glared at her and continued kissing Megumi's neck trying not to kiss her on the lips afraid he would catch her illness.  
  
Kaoru waved good by to Sano and the oblivious fox and continued to walk down hurt. She came to the corner of Hurt and torment, she turned on torment and in the middle of the sidewalk she walked into the grass. She passed the community baseball field were she would play ball with her close friends. She finally came to the place she wanted to be it took her about a half an hour to reach it but she already felt calm just looking at the glimmering patch of water. She sat down on a bench close to the lake she was watching. Some times she came here after she would go to Misao's or Megumi's. It's a place she can reflect, staring into the pool of water only to see herself staring back at her. It's were she first met Enishi, though she hated him, the good memories of him made her happy not vengeful.  
  
Kaoru suddenly was aware of a strange feeling. It felt like the universe was going to crumble around her. She felt one strong force clashing against another as if thunder and lightning were going to duke it out in the sky. Kaoru began to tremble; these forces were so strong she felt like a speck in the vast universe. She felt a gust of air against her skin and she sensed a sharp pain on her cheek as her skin slowly ripped apart and a drop of blood fell from her face. She was in a state of shock: she didn't know what happened. One minute she was in a position of calm thinking about previous events by the lake, but now she was wondering how she suddenly received a cut on her right cheek.  
  
"Damn, I may have missed this time, but I won't miss again," said a voice from the darkness in front of her. Then she looked behind her too see three figures walking through the slowly dieing mist.  
  
"Guns are to slow, you'll never catch us with a gun." One of them said. Kaoru's eyes grew wide 'I'm in the middle of a fight, yes these people are cocky but I could get killed. Wait that voice . . . I know that voice!' Kaoru thought.  
  
A/N: Black I hate green tea, my sis made some for me and I don't like it. Ewe (I love red tea though Mmmm. . .). OK any way I think this chapter is boring and I was having difficulty writing it at some parts, so I know those parts must be boring. Please bare with me it will get better. I had to explain some things and I wanted this story to be flowing and descriptive so it took a while to tell you important things. Anyway thanks for taking the time to read this boring chapter. 


	3. guns

Chapter: 3 Guns  
  
Kaoru sat on the bench frozen as still as a statue not daring to move. She thought if she moved she may get shot and dieing wasn't in her agenda for today. Kaoru's brain was ticking, despite the terror-provoking situation, on where she had heard that voice before. "Guns are slow, you'll never catch us with a gun." who was it? The three figures stood still were they were waiting for the unknown voice to take another shot. 'Oh! I forgot about the voice, who was THAT? Shit, I not only don't know who or how big the person is that voice belongs to but I don't know how many there are on the 'bad' side.' as Kaoru had dubbed the men/man to her front, bad, so that meant she made the men behind her good.  
  
Flash Back  
  
"I don't have time for you." kenshin said plain and simple.  
  
"Maybe I don't have time for you Jerk!" Kaoru fumed.  
  
"No need for name cal . . ." Kenshin started before being cut off by Kaoru.  
  
"Jack ass!"  
  
"Stubborn woman!"  
  
"Bastard!"  
  
"Bitch!"  
  
"Dick!"  
  
"Wench!"  
  
"Piss off!" Kaoru said as she stood up ready to leave.  
  
End of flash back  
  
"KENSHIN!?!" Kaoru screamed half amazed at who owned the deep threatening yet sexy voice and half surprised at herself for shouting out his name in the middle of a gunfight. 'Wait, what is Kenshin doing in the middle of a gun fight?' Kaoru thought. She looked around ever so slowly in hopes of seeing a familiar face and possibly getting out of this fight alive. She saw Kenshin's not-so-smiling face looking at her as he took a step out of the suddenly dark fog. His eyes were shadowed under his hair but she could still see the glint of amber in his hateful orbs.  
  
"Kaoru? What are you doing here?" Kenshin asked. His tone was dangerous and threatening.  
  
"I should ask you the same thing. I just sat down here to . . . to . . . rest and clear my mind." Kaoru stated confidently.  
  
"Get out of here Kaoru, you could get hurt." Kenshin said. Another figure stepped out from behind the curtain of dark fog.  
  
"Kenshin. Shishio and his gang of thugs may attempt to kill the girl. Why don't you take her some where safe?" Aoshi stated.  
  
"Aoshi's here? Next thing I know Soujiro will show up as well." Kaoru said. 'Do these guys only like hanging out with each other. Don't they have any other friends?' Kaoru thought as she shook her head. The third figure stepped out of the fog and just as you guessed it the person was Soujiro.  
  
"Actually," Soujiro said as kaoru turned to him and began to laugh.  
  
"Soujiro's here as well. Do you guys have no friends?" Kaoru said as she laughed again. Suddenly she felt the wind of another bullet graze her cheek. She stopped laughing abruptly and her face fell from smiling joy to still fear.  
  
"Battosai, take the girl away, I don't want to kill such a pretty girl like her." the voice said. Kenshin shot his head up toward the voice and gave the general direction a hateful glare.  
  
"You really should leave. We can handle this by ourselves. Take her to your house and don't let her leave until HE says its ok." Soujiro said. Kenshin reluctantly nodded and began walking motioning for kaoru to follow him. She was still afraid to move so she stood up and once she did the voice shot yet another bullet toward her just for good measure. Just before it hit her in the right am she closed her eyes waiting for the pain that would soon engulf her arm. She heard a cling and opened her eyes with out a world of pain shooting through her. She looked to find her savior when she saw kenshin in front of her sword drawn with a bullet lying in the grass next to him. He had saved her, not only that but with a reverse blade sword from the looks of it.  
  
"You owe me. "Kenshin said directed toward Aoshi and Soujiro. He took a deep breath and muttered something like 'forgive me for this'. Within a blink of an eye Kaoru was in his arms bridal style speeding at god-like speed toward his house she guessed. She was afraid to blink thinking if she did she would miss the route to his house. She actually couldn't figure out were she was or if she was even awake anymore but she knew that she liked sitting in his arms her hands snaked around his neck watching the burry scenery pass by. Then it stopped and he had set her down in front of a huge town house. His house was right on the corner so she eagerly looked at the sign to find out were she was. His house was on the corner of suffering and agony.  
  
He began walking to the door as she watched him. He turned around realizing she wasn't following. "Are you coming or what?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Yes, but what was that?" Kaoru asked him in disbelief. Kenshin shook his head.  
  
"What was what?" He asked her. He turned to walk into his house but stopped when she didn't move. He sighed and leaned his head back in exasperation. "Kaoru." kenshin said. Kaoru began tapping her foot on the paved driveway. "I am gifted with fast running what can I say?" Kenshin said. He lifted his head to see kaoru right in front of him walking toward the door. Kenshin sweat dropped. 'I guess she doesn't care. She is kind of hot though. No she isn't.' kenshin thought shaking his head. He walked up to the door were Kaoru was waiting for him to unlock the door. He pulled his keys out of his back pocket and opened the door. He dropped his keys on the end table in the hallway and stepped to the right into his laundry room to kick off his shoes. He took off his trench coat and hung it up, revealing baggy pants loosely hanging at his waist and a black skin-tight tee shirt and a white tee shirt underneath just hanging out of the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt.  
  
Kaoru smiled when he wasn't looking, she liked that look. He stuck his hand out towards her and she stared at him with a blank expression. "Coat." Kenshin said interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"Oh" Kaoru said as she took off Sano's trench coat that was still partially damp from that morning.  
  
"Is this Sano's?" Kenshin asked surprised as he held up the coat. Kaoru nodded. Kenshin's eyes grew wide as he looked at her in disbelief and smiled at a imaginary Sano.  
  
"Its not what you think, Sano is all Megumi's." Kenshin looked at her skeptically. "He's my neighbor." Kaoru said. That only made his thoughts worse. Kaoru rolled her eyes at Kenshin and lightly punched him in the arm. She stepped past him as he hung up her coat and she was amazed at what she saw. The house looked large on the outside but the inside was enormous! The first floor was decorated in a fancy manner. There were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and long elaborate rugs on the floor. There was a living room, study, and a den. An extravagant spiral carpeted staircase leading up to the second and third level. This house had one spiral staircase leading to the basement, first, second, and third floors. She put her hand delicately on the railing of the stars as she looked up to the vast abyss and down to the pit were the basement was located. She preferred looking up because a sky light was placed above the staircase so it looked like you were floating up to heaven but there was hardly any light currently on downstairs so it looked like you were descending into hell.  
  
The stairs had no support beams they were cemented into the wall, which held them up. It was terrifying yet thrilling to walk up and down them. Kenshin walked out from the laundry room to see her marvel at the single spiral staircase. She looked like an angel standing in the sunlight (the sun had come out by now) wearing a white short shirt and blue denim jeans. 'Wait, #1 she is wearing really skimpy clothes and #2 get a hold of yourself kenshin she is a hot tempered, annoying woman.' Kenshin thought. Kaoru turned around to meet Kenshin staring at her with now kind violet eyes instead of his harsh amber eyes she saw near the lake.  
  
She smiled sweetly hoping he would just let her go about her normal life, but it wasn't looking good. Kenshin looked at her and walked closer to her until her was a few feet away from her. He turned before he collided into her and walked up 5 stairs and looked at her. "Are you coming?" Kenshin asked her. Her neck reddened a smidge when she realized she was staring at him in the sunlit stairway. She strode over to were he was standing on the stair and followed him up to the second floor. With one glance she was awe stricken. The walls were mahogany and there were more chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a hallway at the end of the family room. The hall way had 3 sets of glass doors and one door that was mahogany as well.  
  
She could see into the three with glass French doors but could not see into the fourth. In one room she could see a bed with curtains drawn around it and a dresser with a mirror hanging on the wall. Also there was a flat T.V. hanging on the wall. This was his room she could tell, it was so clean her room was a sty and she couldn't help it. The next room was an excessive library with thousands of books waiting to be read. The next room was a Kitchen with an island and a chrome refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher. The cabinets were cedar and the counter tops were marble.  
  
"What's behind the wood door?" Kaoru asked him as he walked across the carpeted floor. The Family room she noted was a disaster in waiting. The leather couch, chairs, footrest, and love seat were white along with the white carpet. Also the walls were an off white and the ceiling was white bouncing the light everywhere making the room very bright. The coffee table was wood legs with glass for the top. There were lamps every now and then until she reached the hallway. It was difficult taking this all in when she had a small house next to SANO.  
  
"That's a bathroom. I like privacy." Kenshin said smiling even though his back was toward her. He walked into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. He was just going to sit on the couch and watch her take his house in but he thought that would be rude. She followed him into the kitchen and looked around smiling and laughing every once and a while. "What?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Nothing, just, were do you get the money to buy all this stuff. You spend all your time in the alley. Unless you're a thief or something." Kaoru said laughing. Kenshin nervously laughed with her. 'Of course not, im not a thief; I am just in the mafia. I don't steal its more like borrowing without returning.' Kenshin thought.  
  
"What gave you that notion?" Kenshin said laughing uncertainly and shifting his eyes back and fourth. He turned around before she could answer to pour himself some water from the faucet. "Would you like something to drink?" kenshin asked out of the blue. She shook her head 'no' despite her thirst and looked around.  
  
"So, um, how long do I have to stay here? I mean I have to get to work and I don't want to leave Misao all alone. Not only that but my cat will miss me." Kaoru said. Kenshin laughed a light laugh.  
  
"Your. . . CAT will miss you? Poor baby, will Mr. fluffers be mad at you if you don't come home before curfew?" Kenshin teased. Kaoru smiled feeling a blush come on she quickly turned the tables on him.  
  
"Don't you wish some one missed you at night. I'm sure there hasn't been a woman near that bed in years. Besides Mr. fluffers is a girl." Kaoru shot back.  
  
"I'll have you know im sure I've been laid ten times more than you." Kenshin said. Kaoru shut up on that matter knowing that she was still a virgin but she came close once. However Kenshin did not have to know she was a virgin.  
  
"Yea right. What woman would want to get into a bed with a repulsive man like you?" Kaoru asked while laughing (Bwahhahahaha). Kenshin fumed, one minute he was beginning to like this woman and the next she pulls a stunt like that and makes him want to kill her.  
  
"Plenty of women! What man would want to get into a bed with an annoying woman like you?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru didn't know how to answer that one, I mean a lot of guys wanted to go that far, and she didn't. Kenshin didn't need to know any of that I mean what's a little lie going to do?  
  
"A lot of guys! I don't even want to fight with you. As I said before how long do I have to stay here?" kaoru asked changing the subject. Kenshin rolled his eye knowing that she couldn't come up with a good come back so she took the easy way out.  
  
"As soon as HE says I can let you go. You may be useful." Kenshin said with a shutter.  
  
"Who is HE?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"HE is my boss, and I take orders from HIM. So you will stay with me, unless I can get rid of you, until HE says so." Kenshin said. Kaoru put her hands up in defense.  
  
"OK, OK calm down." She said. Kenshin took a sip of his water and set it down on the counter. It was getting late and he wanted to show Kaoru were she would be sleeping. He walked out of the kitchen and Kaoru reluctantly followed him despite her better judgment. He walked down to the basement. The basement was so dark Kaoru couldn't see were she was stepping. "There wouldn't happen to be a light down here would there. I think I'm going to sliiiiiip!" Kaoru said as she missed a step and began tumbling down the stairs. She saw the figure of Kenshin infront of her and she prayed to kami (A/N: Or God which ever you prefer) she wouldn't take him down with her.  
  
She closed her eyes expecting another form to join her in falling the rest of the way down but instead the motion stopped. She felt warm firm hands wrap around her small frame and she felt safe yet dazed. She had been tumbling so fast she almost didn't know what happened just that this warm mass was pleasant. She snuggled in a little closer to Kenshin subconsciously, I mean who wouldn't?  
  
Kenshin sensed Kaoru slipping down the stairs and despite his strong urge to step to the side and let her fall the rest of the way down he knew he should get on her good side. With his luck he'll have to stay with her for a while. Also Aoshi generally isn't wrong about the business of HIM. Aoshi always seems to know what people are of interest and what people aren't, so she could be here a while. Kenshin grabbed her falling form and held her semi-close to him; he didn't want her to think he liked her or anything. He felt Kaoru snuggle in closer and dig her face into his shirt, soaking him in. She seemed to sigh as if content to be in his arms for a while until she smelled his shirt. Yes, axe is a good smell but she knew that's what Kenshin smelled like. He put so much on she could smell it a mile away. But it was only a faint smell not strong and she liked that.  
  
However she was snuggling into Kenshin and if she didn't get away quick he may think she was beginning to like him or something. Regardless of her body's urge to hold onto him in the cold dark basement she pulled away and opened her eyes. Kenshin realized he was beginning to like Kaoru in his arms, but she pulled away and he realized what he was thinking and mentally slapped himself.  
  
"Sorry, I tripped." Kaoru stated. Kenshin mumbled something like 'Thank you Capitan Obvious' but Kaoru chose to ignore that statement. Kenshin clapped his hands and the light turned on. Kaoru looked around to see three different rooms divided by thin walls. One room was a small kitchen, not as glamorous as the one on the second floor but better than hers, another was a bedroom, and the last was a bathroom. The bedroom had a king-sized bed with red curtains draped over a pole above the bed. There was a walk in closet and a dresser in the large room that took up half of the basement. Kaoru was awe stricken at the enormous room that was the size of her house. Well that is a little excessive it was the size of half of her house, so the entire basement was there size of her house.  
  
"This is were you sleep." Kenshin stated uninterested.  
  
"This is amazing! This whole room is to myself?" Kaoru asked in disbelief. Kenshin nodded idly. "Wow. I haven't seen such a big house since I was ten." Kaoru said sorrowfully. Kenshin looked at her a little concerned at the tone in her voice.  
  
"What happened when you were ten?" Kenshin asked surprised he even cared. Kaoru looked at him almost making sure he wanted to genuinely know not just ask to be polite.  
  
"I ran away from home." Kaoru stated casually as if she didn't care and would do it again if she had the chance. Kenshin looked surprised.  
  
"You ran away. Surely you went back though." Kenshin said hopefully. He didn't want to get in trouble with the cops for having a seventeen-year-old girl who ran away from home seven years ago and never went back. Technically he could go to jail if he ever did anything with her because she was seventeen and he . . . wasn't.  
  
"No. And I wouldn't change my decision for the world."Kaoru said proudly. Inside kaoru was really shivering and wincing remembering that house and those people who never cared for her. Only her father cared for her, her mother did to but died when she was three and her father re-married to a witch who hated kaoru. Then Daddy died and Kaoru's life became hell. She didn't know why she was telling Kenshin this I mean she hated the guy. She was pretty open she told the whole story to Misao and Megumi but just because they were her friends. She also told Sano and he was a big help to her, she considered him like her older brother even if every one else thought it was more.  
  
Kaoru was always humiliated when it came to people thinking her and Sano were "together". Sano is a baka so she was humiliated having people think she was going out with such a numbskull but Sano on the other hand was worshiped. Kaoru was pretty and smart and Sano had Kaoru and Megumi so he was a god among men but Kaoru was pathetic. It was a win lose situation and kaoru lost. Kenshin looked sympathetic towards her and she sighed.  
  
"Kenshin. I ran away because they hated me there I had to leave. Besides I met Sano and he took care of me until I was able to buy a house and find a job which got me here so up until today my life has been good with out her." Kaoru said happily. Kenshin gave her a threatening look for saying she hated being with him.  
  
"You know you love being around me. That's why you followed me to the park." Kenshin said walking into the room. Kaoru fumed walking behind him. He sat on the bed and she sat on the dresser. 'Very lady like.' Kenshin thought.  
  
"I didn't follow you, I was at the park first. I think you followed me." Kaoru said. Kenshin rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yea right you think im irresistible and you know it!" Kenshin said.  
  
"Irresistible! Ha don't make me laugh. You look like you fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!" Kaoru said adding a giggle for emphasis. Kenshin glared at her.  
  
"Why were you in the park then?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"I was at the park looking into the lake trying to unwind. Misao left me alone to talk to Aoshi so I decided to leave. There wasn't much business so I thought she could handle it on her own." Kaoru said. Kenshin laughed.  
  
"Yea right! So you just sat down watching the lake thinking! You must have a lot of time on your hands." Kenshin said laughing.  
  
"Oh really? So when you were waiting on a bench in the park for "some one" you weren't thinking. Wait I forgot there aren't enough brains in your head to think or you would have realized I needed to be left alone. But no you had to be a jerk!" Kaoru spat back at him.  
  
"I may have been a jerk but you were being a bitch! You just had to start calling me names." kenshin started.  
  
"Like you weren't trying to poke fun at a pathetic looking girl!" Kaoru said. Kenshin shut up he didn't want to fight with her and it was getting late anyway.  
  
"There are some pajamas in the bottom drawer of the dresser. Don't bother with breakfast in the morning I'll have it ready upstairs." Kenshin said getting up and starting to walk up the stairs. His eyes were flickering from purple to amber.  
  
"Good night. Sweet dreams Kenshin." Kaoru said. Kenshin smiled with his back to her so she couldn't see. He hadn't had some one say good night, sweet dreams in a long time.  
  
"Night." Kenshin said as he walked up the steps. Kaoru walked into the bathroom with his pajamas and changed. They were plaid boxers and a tight white muscle shirt. That solved the age-old question, Boxers or Briefs? Boxers. Kaoru was wearing men's clothes and she liked wearing them. She walked into the small kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She brought it into her room and set it on a coaster on the end table. She tucked herself in like any other night but this bed was very comfy unlike hers at home. She clapped and the light turned off.  
  
She let sleep capture her as her head hit the pillow. In the morning she woke to the smell of eggs and bacon, traditional breakfast. She tore herself from the comfort of his large bed and drank some water. She walked to the kitchen and set the glass in the sink. She sleepily walked up the stairs and blinked when her eyes met the smiling sun. She wasn't a morning person but she knew she should get up incase she could go home.  
  
"Morning sunshine." Kenshin said from the kitchen.  
  
"Shut it. Did you talk to HIM and see if I can go home?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin pretended to look hurt.  
  
"Some one woke up on the wrong side of the bed. No, I need to wait till Soujiro calls him, I am not the one who talks to HIM." Kenshin said. Kaoru rolled her squinted eyes.  
  
"Have Soujiro call HIM pronto I would like to go home." Kaoru said sitting down on a chair next to the table. He set down a plate with two eggs sunny side up and a piece of bacon in the shape of a smile. Her breakfast was smiling at her isn't that cute? Kaoru wasn't a morning person like I said so she picked up the bacon and flipped it upside down. Her breakfast was frowning. She wouldn't eat until Kenshin did so she knew he wasn't poisoning her. He ate his food after looking at her face and frowned. He shook his head at her and ate. She dug in and picked up her plate once she was finished.  
  
She opened up the dishwasher finding it full of dirty dishes. She looked at the sink finding dirty dishes. "Kenshin! Do you ever clean your dishes?" kaoru asked. Kenshin walked into the kitchen and shook his head 'no' while putting his dish strategically on top of a pile in the sink. Kaoru shook her head and fit as many dished as she could into the dishwasher. She took out some detergent and poured it into the washer door. She closed it and hit the start and heavy-duty buttons. The washer made loud noises and she walked out of the kitchen. She walked to the stairs and began walking down stairs.  
  
"Tell me when the washer is done. I don't need to do laundry to do I?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin shook his head.  
  
"No I like laundry." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Good, I'll just do my laundry then." Kaoru said.  
  
"I can do it for you if you want." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"It's a deal. I'll do your dishes if you do my laundry." Kaoru said. She walked down stairs and a few minutes later she brought up her folded pants and shirt. She handed them to him.  
  
"This isn't my shirt so you can give it to Sano next time you see him." Kaoru said glaring at an imaginary Sano. "That is if you don't mind me wearing a shirt of yours." Kaoru said. Kenshin nodded. Kaoru walked down stairs to make the bed and come up stairs to start manually washing dishes. This may take a while.  
  
A/N: My brother's rats (hamsters) just multiplied today! I hate them but their babies might be cute. How do you like it so far? I thought the story was getting crappy so I tried to bring up the points on the crap'o'meter. 


	4. Dishes

Chapter: 4 Dishes  
  
Kaoru walked into the kitchen still wearing Kenshin's pajamas ready to wash dishes. She grabbed the first plate off the top of the pile and found there was no room in the sink to wash the dish. Kaoru began piling the dirty dishes onto the counter top so she could use the sink. Once she was finished doing that the dishwasher dinged and it was ready to be unloaded. Kaoru opened it up and jumped back at the release of wet hot steam coming from the washer. Kenshin walked into the kitchen because he was finished with his chore. He thought he would help Kaoru wash the dishes even though he despised this chore. What's the point? At one time in his life he just used paper plated and plastic silverware. He just hated dishes, however with Kaoru here to do the dishes for him he wouldn't have to use plastic and paper.  
  
'Maybe having her around wont be so bad.' Kenshin thought while laughing on the inside at Kaoru's wet face. She grabbed a paper towel and whipped off her face seeing his smiling face. The enjoyment dancing in his purple eyes was enough to make her melt. She loved making people happy but she lived to make him smile. Though she had known him for a few short days he was beginning to grow on her. Then he would go and do something stupid like tell her to leave and call her woman in the same spot Enishi beat her. Poor Kenshin he would get a sever beating if her ever did that again.  
  
Kaoru decided to ignore him and grabbed a few dished out of the dishwasher and began loading them into a random cabinet she found. Once she was done with the silverware and plates she moved to the cups. She realized he was behind her but she never realized he was planning on helping her. She reached for a very peculiar looking cup sitting in the washer when she felt someone's hand brush against hers. She looked up to find Kenshin looking into her deep eyes. She grabbed the cup but not before she lifted one eyebrow in a questioning look.  
  
"You don't like doing dishes unless I am currently washing them?" She asked slyly setting her hand on one glass. She looked up at him seeing him just smile. She rolled her eyes at him and he moved over to the washer to grab another glass, his eye contact never wavering from hers. They seemed to be in a battle of staring. He reached for a glass and rested on Kaoru's hand, he looked down to see what glass he owned was so soft and silky. It was a hand and that hand was connected to an arm that belonged to Kaoru. Then it hit him; he had lost the battle because of her soft skin. Kaoru smiled in victory but decided not to boast she would use this against him later.  
  
"Damn it." Kaoru thought she heard him whisper. Her small smile only turned into a large grin but she turned to the sink to begin loading dishes into the washer before he saw it. She loaded the plates and Kenshin loaded the glasses. She grabbed a plate once Kenshin thought they were done and threw him a towel. He looked at her questioningly like 'what is this foreign object?' She smiled.  
  
"I'll wash em' if you dry em'." Kaoru said. Kenshin groaned at the thought of manual labor that did not benefit him in any way. Yea he would have clean plates to eat off of but what was a little salmonella to him? Kaoru reached to the bottom of the sink and closed off the hole. She then filled the sink with hot soapy water. She put the dish in the sink and began scrubbing the crud off of it. She rinsed it and handed it to Kenshin. He dried it off with the small hand towel. The cleaning commenced with out conversation until Kenshin broke the silence.  
  
"Kaoru, if you don't mind me asking, why do you live alone?" Kenshin asked. She stopped cleaning and looked at him with suddenly sad eyes. He wanted the sadness in her eyes to go away and he didn't know why. He didn't want her to be sad but he quickly snapped out of that feeling when he realized it was Kaoru, the annoying woman. That's all he had to do was keep telling that to himself. She looked down to the work she was doing and began talking in a soft voice.  
  
"My family . . . died and a woman I know tried to kill me. I left home never to return again." Kaoru started. She didn't know why she was telling him this but she was and she couldn't help it. It seemed like if he wanted to know something she couldn't help but tell him. Then she got mad because she didn't have a strong enough will to not tell him. Kenshin's face fell at kaorus words.  
  
'How can such an innocent naïve woman have such horrible things happen to her? ' Kenshin thought. Kaoru looked at him unable to read his eyes but she saw that his mind was working trying to figure her out. She knew that look any one who she told her secret looked like that. Often, before she was able to put a down payment on her house, she had to beg people for a place to sleep. She used her story to form pity in their heats so she could have a place to sleep. They all looked like they were incredibly sorry for her loss when she hadn't lost anything at all. Would she rather be at home with her stepmother who hated her and wanted her dead? No, she would rather be on the street like her stepmother wanted. However, for some odd reason Kaoru always thought that somewhere in her stepmother there was some love or even respect, but there was nothing. Not a single care for her was in her stepmother, only that Kaoru had money and she wanted it.  
  
Kaoru still has a silly hope she clings to every now-and-then when her hope'o'meter runs dry: that somewhere out there she can trust someone with her heart. But now it was looking pretty slim, either kill off Megumi and take Sano or live life as a single woman. Kaoru loved Sano and Megumi too much to just kill her and take him, who probably wouldn't like her that way anyway.  
  
"Oh," Was Kenshin's inelegant response. Kaoru's head jerked up at that comment. He hadn't said 'Im sorry,' or 'You must be so lonely,' just oh. Kaoru resumed washing her dish that was half submerged in the soapy water. She handed it to Kenshin who dried it off and set it in the cabinet closest to him.  
  
"You are unlike anyone I have ever known Kenshin." Kaoru stated after a pause. Kenshin began laughing.  
  
"What? Why?" Kenshin said after a good laugh. Kaoru looked him strait in the eye.  
  
"Because, one minute you have cold amber eyes and are a jerk. Then the next minute you have kind purple eyes and I feel like I can trust you. It's like you have two personalities." Kaoru said. At the last part of her speech kenshin froze and sweat dropped rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Of course not. Two personalities, Ha you really are a trip kaoru." Kenshin said uneasily. Kaoru rolled her eyes choosing to ignore that comment and pretend Kenshin was not schizophrenic for a little while longer. Then the dishwasher buzzed and Kaoru walked over to put away the dishes. Kenshin walked over to help her and Kaoru couldn't help but let a giggle escape her lips. "What?" Kenshin started.  
  
"You were complaining how much you hate doing dishes but here you are cleaning dishes with me." Kaoru said. Kenshin shrugged and before they knew it the dishes were finished. (A/N: Don't ask me why I just wasted half a chapter washing dishes, it took up time.) Kaoru looked at the clock and found that it was only 10:00. "Uggg. It's ten and I still have the whole day to waste. Unless you call Soujiro and ask him when I can go home." Kaoru looked at him hopefully. He was about to comment when the phone rang. Kenshin went into the kitchen and picked it up.  
  
"Hello... speak of the devil... nothing... ok hold on." Kenshin said in the other room. Kenshin walked back into the family room were Kaoru was sitting.  
  
"Kaoru, I don't believe you ever told me your last name. Can I have it?" Kenshin asked and before kaoru realized that she told him information that could get her killed she said:  
  
"Kamiya, Kamiya Kaoru," She said nonchalantly. Then she realized what she had said and whished she could take it back. She had strategically tried to keep herself from giving her last name to him. She thought he could use it against her and from the looks of it he was going to.  
  
"Soujiro, I'm back... Kamiya... right...call me back then... she's anxious to go home so make it quick...no...good bye Soujiro." Kenshin said into the phone. He hung the phone up and walked toward were Kaoru was sitting. "Kaoru, Soujiro called and he is giving your name to HIM and will call back momentarily to see if you have to stay here or go home." kenshin said. Kaoru jumped up from the couch she was sitting on and grabbed Kenshin into a hug.  
  
"Really!" Kaoru practically screamed into his ear. All he could do was nod his head. She released him and smiled wide and hugged him again. Kenshin separated this time afraid she may hug him to death.  
  
'Death by hug, what a nice way to die.' Kenshin thought with a shudder. Kaoru jumped up and down so excited to go home and go back to work.  
  
"Damn, Misao will want to know everything that happened." kaoru said her mood turning foul. "Kenshin, please if you do anything for me don't tell anyone I was here. Everyone who needs to know already knows. Don't tell Sano if he doesn't need to know and... well you wont live long if you tell Misao." Kaoru told him sternly. Kenshin thought about the ways kaoru would try to kill him yes she wouldn't be able to catch him let alone kill him but the wrath of Kaoru wasn't exactly what kenshin needed now. Kaoru began pacing the room back and fourth waiting for the call from Soujiro. After five minuets Kenshin was worried the carpet would be worn down. "How can you be so calm, if he calls and I have to..." Kaoru began before the phone rang. Kaoru ran to the phone as Kenshin just walked over to the phone. Kaoru didn't know were it was so Kenshin got there first.  
  
"Hello... yes... Really... what... She What?!?... Damn... nothing... no I don't... why do you think... no... she doesn't have to go to HIM does she... she isn't going to be happy... she doesn't want sano to know don't tell him... yea but, never mind... Good bye soujiro." Kenshin hung up on Soujiro.  
  
"HE figured it out huh?" Kaoru said in a defeated voice. Kenshin looked at her downcast stare and felt bad however that didn't last long.  
  
'If you mean the fact that you will soon be a billionaire yes! Why do you put on this act Kaoru? Is it for attention?" Kenshin asked her. She looked up at him.  
  
"What? What act?" Kaoru asked him.  
  
"Kaoru in a few months you will be 19 and when you are 19 then your father's fortune will be yours. 'Oh Kenshin my family died and a woman I know wants me dead.' yea right!" Kenshin said. Kaoru's eyes filled with tears of anger and sorrow.  
  
"Kenshin! You shouldn't be talking look at this mansion you should know as good as I do that money doesn't buy happiness! And you don't understand..." kaoru trailed off. All sorts of horrid memories filled her mind as tears filled her eyes. Kaoru, not wanting kenshin to se how weak she was, wiped the tears from her eyes and looked determined at him.  
  
"What don't I understand? So your parents died, so did mine I have lived with it." Kenshin began to raise his voice. And so did kaoru.  
  
"My mother died when I was young then my father remarried and he died. My Stepmother wants me dead!" Kaoru began getting angry with him. He continued to just look at her as if waiting for more.  
  
"She hired an assassin to kill me for my fathers money. However, I escaped and since she never found my body she was unable to claim my fortune. I took to the streets alone and loved by no one. I faced harsh reality on my own begging different people for a place to stay every night. I worked for food and shelter. Finally I found sano and stayed with him for a while until all my hard work paid off, I got a down payment on a crap hole of a house. The house was near Sano though and that's all I needed. He is like my older brother and is the only one who ever cared for me!" Kaoru said. Kenshins eyes were teetering on the brink of Amber but remained a swirl of purple and amber.  
  
"My parents died as well." Kenshin said. Kaoru began to laugh and brought her hand up to her forehead. She shook her head while holding it with her hand.  
  
"Kenshin, Kenshin. That's just the beginning. Not only was I an orphan without a family or any one who cared for me, but also I had no real home. I had shelter not a home. So I bought a cat hoping that could cheer me up. My cat died, Sano was my only lifeline to the living world. He was what kept me on this wretched hunk of dirt in the sky. I became suicidal and fell into a fever and came close to death until Sano brought me to the hospital. I, obviously, lived and soon after became a happy ball of energy that I continually try to be and met a guy at my high school. I thought I loved him but I was wrong, one night..." kaoru started while beginning to cry again. She tried to stop the tears but that just made them spill over her eyes onto the white carpet.  
  
"One night in the park he told me he had to go to Nevada and I had to stay home to work so I could feed myself and still go to school and pay bills. I lied to him saying I needed to work for my family, actually I was working for myself, the only family I have. He didn't like that idea so he beat me. Some one came to my rescue and three days later I woke up in the hospital. Just recently my life has been looking up because I am out of school and into the work force for the flower shop. I wish I had chosen the job at the bank instead because then I wouldn't be here with a inconsiderate jerk like you!" Kaoru screamed at him tears rolling down her cheek.  
  
"So is this all still an act for attention or has my life story gotten through to you?' Kaoru asked. He looked at her; the purple-eyed side had won. She was beginning to think the purple side was so much nicer. Then kenshin did something unexpected, he hugged her. He gave her a big hug and she looked shocked. For once she was at a loss, she wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know if she should hug him back or what. Kaoru was still crying despite the semi-happy mood. The tears just wouldn't stop flowing now; it was too late to stop them. She slowly and hesitantly wrapped her arms around him as well, her hot tears quickly soaking his shoulder. She took a deep breath; she was shaking because of her bitter sobbing from before.  
  
Kenshin slowly stroked her hair and smelled her faint aroma of jasmine. Inside Kenshin was screaming at himself for hugging her. He shouldn't hug her she was an annoying woman. 'Keep telling yourself that Kenshin.' ' I guess she's ok,' 'Ok? The woman who is staying with you for god knows how long is sobbing! And to top it off you instinctively hugged her!' Kenshin was busy fighting with himself. Kaoru laid her head on his shoulder as a few tears rolled out of her eyes. Crying so much was making her tired and it was only, looking at the clock, 12:00.  
  
"Thank you." Kaoru said as she separated from him. 'Thank god she pulled away. If it were up to me I would never have hugged her.' the inner Battosai said. 'Ok! You love her and you know it.' Kenshin thought.  
  
"Kenshin." Kaoru started as kenshin looked up from his thoughts. "Can I leave? I mean may I go home and get some clothes and maybe do something out side?" kaoru asked.  
  
'I can escort you to your house to get clothes but I don't know if HE trusts you out side." Kenshin said. Kaoru nodded and walked down stairs to the first floor. She walked to the door, kenshin following her, and got her shoes. Kenshin retrieved his shoes as well and they walked out side. It was nice and sunny outside no need for coats, on the way out kenshin put on his sunglasses. Kaoru walked, leading the way to her house, silently. Kenshin was also silent walking besides her looking around. He had been this way before and recognized Sano's house, so she was telling the truth. She walked past Sano's window looking to see if he was home so she could point and laugh because of him and Megumi.  
  
She looked through his large window in the front along with kenshin to see Sano and Megumi fighting. Kaoru was unable to read lips and kenshin knew it.  
  
"Sano, your such a lazy dog! Then that makes you my bitch! Why you!" Kenshin said.  
  
"What?" Kaoru asked.  
  
'That's what they are saying. Ouch" Kenshin said as they both flinched seeing Megumi throw a miscellaneous object at his head and hit. Kaoru nodded wanting him to continue.  
  
"Sano some time I really hate you! Well some time I hate you too! Leave it to Sano to say something like that in a battle of wits. I refuse to play with an unarmed person! Then stop playing with yourself Sano! FOX! ROOSTER! Megumi wait... I... I'm sorry... don't leave." Kenshin said as Megumi emerged from the doorway.  
  
"You should go back in there Megumi, he seems sincere" Kenshin said to her as she spun around looking flustered.  
  
"What are you... and you doing her?" Megumi said with fox ears sticking out of her head. Kaoru looked angry because Megumi had found them together.  
  
"I'm going to regret this but, Megumi if you go back in there and path things up with sano when I get the chance I'll (gulp) tell you...everything." Kaoru said. Megumi smiled and walked back inside laughing 'ho ho ho'. Kaoru and kenshin quickly turned to the window to see Megumi walk inside. Sano leapt up.  
  
"What? Why did you come back you never do..." Kenshin started seeing Megumi cover her mouth and whisper something into Sano's ear. Then Sano turned to look at the window seeing both of them clearly before they jumped and hid under the windowsill. Sano smiled even though they couldn't see. Kenshin and Kaoru jumped up to see Sano visibly mouth 'Kenshin and Kaoru are together?' Kaoru blushed as red as a tomato along with kenshin.  
  
"Tell me you caught that?" Kenshin said, but before his finished kaoru was nodding. They both banged the window and Megumi and sano who were currently in each other's arms jumped looking toward the window. All they saw was kaoru and kenshin holding their middle fingers up. Kaoru ran. She knew if she didn't get out of there quick they would come after them. Kenshin was still slowly walking away from the window smiling at them. Kaoru ran back towards him and grabbed him by the hand running toward her house. He stumbled trying to realize she was dragging him away.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru was to busy focusing on her home so she merely nodded in the direction of Sano and Megumi running towards them. Kenshin's eyes grew wide as he realized they were gaining on them. Kaoru looked at him, watching him run so easily while, in her eyes, she ran so awkwardly. He looked at her seeing her slender legs reach out infront of her, her shoes creating friction against the pavement forcing her forward. They were inching ever closer to her house until it was right in front of them. She ran up the driveway with him slightly behind her as she had previously gotten out her keys. She was already fiddling with them trying to find the right one before she even got to the door. Kaoru almost ran into the small tree in her front yard when kenshin shouted "Kaoru, to the right."  
  
Kaoru didn't have enough time to move out of the way but she knew it was there so she jumped over it. Kaoru's ankles were slightly scratched from small thorns on her rose bush, which she just jumped over. Blood was clinging to the bush and Kenshin could smell it. It was driving him crazy he wanted to rip his nose off from the putrid smell of blood. Even though it was only a small amount of blood it was blood none-the-less. Kaoru hopped up the step to her door and shoved the key into the hole turning it and opening the door. She held the door open for Kenshin as she rushed him inside. He was inside in the blink of an eyes and Kaoru took the time to look behind her to confirm he was inside. Sano was currently sprinting up the driveway as she whipped her head in his direction she gasped and tried to shut the door.  
  
Sano shoved his arm in between the door and the thresh hold. Kaoru looked extremely surprised as the arm flexed when she slammed the door on it. Not much hurt Sano and if something did he grinned and bared it. "Kenshin, help me." Kaoru said hurriedly. She tried to close the door even though his arm was in it. She hoped she could make him say uncle but she wasn't strong enough, actually he was beginning to open the door. Kenshin rushed over to help her close the door on his arm.  
  
"Kenshin, you weenie! Get out here and fight like a man. "Sano said. Kenshin smiled from behind the door even though Sano couldn't see. Kenshin and Kaoru's side of this war was winning so that made Kenshin's smile grow.  
  
"No, I don't think I will." Kenshin said as he pushed harder on the door for emphasis. Sano gave out a small yelp as they heard Megumi whispering comforting words to him. They weren't sure if she was pulling on the door or not but it was a difficult struggle for both sides. They were acting like such children. Megumi said that Kenshin and Kaoru were together so they decided to flip them off. Sano having a hot temper ran after them and not was attempting to get into the house. Despite the strength behind the girlish looks of kenshin it seemed it wasn't enough for Sano. Kenshin had great strength but he hadn't slept well so his endurance was on the low side. Sano was able to sustain the pressure on his arm for over 5 minuets.  
  
Kenshin could feel Sano's side winning so he looked to Kaoru who was leaning on the door. "Kaoru I cant hold him off much longer go into the kitchen and see if you cant..." Kenshin started and whispered the rest into her ear hoping Sano wouldn't catch him. She got off of the door and snuck into the kitchen. She grabbed the faucet, which was able to come in and out of the sink, and waited until Kenshin would give her the signal by running into the kitchen. As soon as he did She grinned and waited until she saw the ragging mass of Sano run into the doorway. She saw his red and white form and once she saw his brown hair she pulled the trigger shooting a rather large stream of water directly into his face. Megumi ran up behind him and kaoru doused her with water as well.  
  
Both looked flabbergasted as Kaoru was getting them drenched. Kaoru stopped the flow of water for a minuet waiting for their reaction. About 5 seconds past so they both could get over the initial shock of the water being poured on them. Kaoru couldn't hold it in any longer she burst out laughing at the couple. They looked like a pair or wet rats, wet angry revenge seeking rats. Kenshin joined in on the laughing at the couple until they got over the shock. Kaoru realized they were coming after them so she held up the faucet.  
  
"Step any closer and I'll pull the trigger." Kaoru said in a mocking manner.  
  
"She'll do it!" Kenshin piped in joining in on the mockery. Kaoru and kenshin laughed for a minuet then abruptly stopped looking to Megumi and Sano who held their wet hands up in the air. Both Sano and Megumi glared in a group glare at Kenshin and Kaoru. They held their chins up high as they turned on their heels to walk out of the house. Kaoru took one last squirt at Megumi and hit her in the ass. She whipped around and looked at Kaoru for a second then she started running towards her about to claw her eyes out. Sano reached his arm out to stop her. She began clawing at his arm until he couldn't stand it anymore. She really had it out for kaoru. He couldn't keep it up soon she would have scratched down to the bone and he would have to trust in her hands to heal him, he didn't want that, so he let her go.  
  
Kaoru didn't even have time to blink before Kenshin was standing defensively in front of her. His arms were stretched out to the side and he was looking at her with slits for eyes. Megumi stopped 5 feet infront of him and her clawing arms fell to her side. She stared at him Stunned then her shocked expression turned to vengeance and settling of scores. She grinned an evil grin and turned getting the 'don't touch her' hint and looked at Sano who had the identical look plastered on his face. They walked out of the house plotting evilly.  
  
"We'll get you yet Kenshin and Kaoru." They both whispered as they walked out of her house and moving into his to go make out or something. Really they were going to plot but making out sounded fun, they can multi-task cant they?  
  
Kaoru walked down the hallway to her room and grabbed a small backpack to fit clothes in. She grabbed seven outfits, not that she had many but seven was one for every day, and packed some other things. She walked to the bathroom got her toiletries and packed a pair of tennis shoes and her good pair of shoes. She thought she might need the good shoes that crossed in the front and showed off her delicate white feet. Kaoru threw the backpack on her back and walked out to meet Kenshin. He was looking at some pictures on her mantle over her fireplace, one of the only sources of heat in her house.  
  
"I'm ready to go. Can we leave now? Kenshin?" Kaoru asked impatiently. He was looking at the pictures of Sano and Megumi, along with a bouncing Misao. Only one other picture was on the mantle, it was a picture of a small child with milky white skin, raven colored hair, and deep blue eyes, she was standing in front of a older woman with Raven hair and brown eyes. Also the man behind her had brown silky hair with light blue eyes.  
  
"Is this your mother and father?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru nodded and began walking out of the house leaving Kenshin behind.  
  
A/N: A little boring I know. Thanks reviewers, you all rock! Well sorry for the long wait for chapter . . . what chapter is this? Oh yes chapter 4. Well, review please, oh and those of you that read this, why is it that more people don't read this story? Is the summary bad or something? I don't know, I just know that I try on this story and hardly try on my teen titans and I have over 100 reviews for teen titans. 


	5. can't think of a title

Chapter: 5 What now?  
  
A/N: Sorry, I need a quick authors note here. A fabulous reviewer asked me bunch of questions and now I feel like an idiot. Well here it goes, Kaoru is 17 not 18, my mistake. Also her mom died when she was 1 and her dad re- married at the age of 2. Her Dad died at 3. Also Kaoru had business clothes on, your right, I forgot she found clothes, so um you can just imagine the buttons were low because I did say she left 2 buttons unbuttoned. That's kind of skimpy right? OK I have a lot of mistakes sorry I thought I was on top of this story. I have a lot of grammar errors to, sorry about those. Also the road names are not supposed to be creepy, they should be funny, sorry if I scared you. And Kaoru changed because the trench coat was supposed to be waterproof, turns out it didn't work. Thanks for telling me!  
  
"Is this your mother and father?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru nodded and began walking out of the house leaving Kenshin behind.  
  
She walked down her drive way and down the street before he caught up with her. He was panting from the sprinting he just did trying to catch up with her. Either Kenshin had looked at the pictures for a long time or she walked fast. The walk to his house was silent until the last five minutes.  
  
"Kaoru, why are you so upset?" Kenshin asked.  
  
'There he goes being nice again. Then something will click in his head and he'll get that stupid look on his face like he is thinking with his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes will spark with amber. Then he will say something mean and hurt my feelings.' Kaoru thought as Kenshin was waiting for her answer. She looked like she was thinking and he half expected her to raise one eyebrow and pull her hand to her face stroking her chin. He looked at her expecting an answer but it didn't come. She stared into space not even realizing he was still waiting for an answer.  
  
They were nearing his house and she could see the huge home towering over all the other houses and the trees. She was walking listening to the two sets of footsteps when she only hear her footsteps. She stopped in her tracks and turned around seeing Kenshin standing still looking horrified behind Kaoru. She looked at him normally for a minute then her eyes filled with fear.  
  
"What? What is it? Is there something behind be? Is there something on me?" Kenshin!?!" Kaoru screamed. She quickly whipped around to see the streets so empty she half expected to see a bush roll across the street. Her eyes closed into slits of hate and you could almost see fire reflecting in her disgusted blue orbs. She spun around to see Kenshin laughing at her, she walked right up to him close, to close for Kaoru but she wasn't going to back off.  
  
"Kenshin! Don't ever scare me like that again." Kaoru said. She turned around and began to walk toward his house. She didn't hear him begin to walk to she stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes slowly counting to calm herself down. "One . . . two . . . three." She said.  
  
'Ok, she pissed me off by not answering my question so what would kaoru hate?' Kenshin thought. Then a thought came to him and his eye glistened with mischief and he smiled menacingly. Kenshin walked up behind her and wrapped his armed loosely but with a hidden strength around her waist. He wasn't squeezing her but he held her firmly. Once his arms made contact kaoru attempted to turn around but she wasn't able to. She then realized since only Kenshin was behind her it must be him. This steamed her up; she hated men and disliked the thought of being hugged by Kenshin.  
  
"Kenshin what are you doing?" Kaoru asked trying to stay calm. She knew he had wrapped his arms around her to irritate her and it was working splendidly. 'Great, its working, I can tell she is uncomfortable and tense.' Kenshin thought.  
  
"Answer my question and ill think about letting you go." Kenshin whispered in a husky lust filled voice in her ear. She shivered and tensed more when his skin touched her face. She could feel his warm almost wet breath on her neck. She could feel how loose his body was. He was so relaxed while she was so stiff and uptight in his arms. Normally she was a pretty laidback person but in his arms she felt obligated to feel uncomfortable and squirmy. She didn't mind being hugged, her friends hugged her all the time, but she was afraid to like the feeling of a hug. Not a regular hug you get from a friend, but a hug from a "friend". Be it a boy/girl friend or a friend with benefits, a hug from some one more than a friend is a special hug. One that you wish for on a cold night the kind that keep you calm when school and work keep you stressed and up all night. The kind that people in the halls look at you and shout "PDA" (Public Display of Affection) when ever you are with that special some one, but you don't care you just want to be with whomever loves you.  
  
Kaoru was standing strait thinking, racking her brain on what he had asked her. "What was the question?" Kaoru asked hesitantly like a small child cowering in the corner because they drew on Mommies important papers. Kenshin chuckled a little and kaoru could feel his laughter flowing through her.  
  
"Why are you so upset?" He asked for the second time. Kaoru turned her head to see if she could get a glimpse of him. She needed to know if he was serious.  
  
"Seriously? "Kaoru asked as his head bobbed up and down for a minuet. "Well, I still haven't forgiven you for the other day in the park." Kaoru stated defiantly. She crossed her arms infront of her and closed her eyes in a rebellious stance. Kenshin looked like he couldn't recall what she was talking about then his eyes lightened up and he laughed a little, mumbling 'oh yeah.'  
  
"That's all?" Kenshin asked. He laughed again, his laugh a little deeper this time. Kaoru tried to elbow him but he managed to dodge her blow by sliding to the left. "What did I do that was so bad?" Kenshin asked. It was Kaoru's turn to laugh. She laughed a sweet small laugh that began to grow.  
  
"Were should I start? You called me a woman, incase you didn't know that's what Enishi called me when we broke up; I don't like that word. Also you called me names." Kaoru said innocently. Kenshin began laughing so hard he lost his grip on Kaoru. She sensed this opportunity and wriggled out of his clutch. He felt her leaving his seize so he wiggled his fingers tickling her; she laughed and stopped moving. He grabbed her with only his fingertips then she was back into his arms but facing him.  
  
"Really? Is that how it went Kaoru?" Kenshin asked her. She nodded her head slowly slipping into a trance from staring in to his eyes. He could feel her relax in his grip. "Because I don't believe that's what happened." Kenshin whispered as his eyes closed a little and his head moved closer to hers.  
  
"Enlighten me then." Kaoru said in a slightly seductive voice. Kenshin smiled.  
  
"Were should I start." Kenshin mimicked Kaoru. "You started calling me names first, I believe it was a jerk then a jackass. Then you stormed off." Kenshin stated.  
  
"However, you did call me woman, and you called me names once I was finished with you." Kaoru said. Kenshin smiled and nodded. He leaned in closer to her, she leaned in closer to him and both of them almost forgot every nasty thought they had about the opposite sex until they heard a loud HONK! Both of them looked startled at the towering semi-truck in front of them. They smiled and the truck driver winked at Kenshin. Kaoru jumped out of Kenshin's arms and rushed to the sidewalk. Kenshin was at her heels and they both power walked the rest of the way to Kenshins house silently. His home was only a few houses away; around 10 yards. Kaoru flung open the door with just enough force that it made no dent in the wall but made a loud noise.  
  
Kenshin scurried into the thresh hold of the doorway and closed the door looking out for a second to make sure no one was looking at him funny for a woman slamming the door to his multi-million dollar mansion. 'I can't believe I . . . and he . . . we almost . . . and I think I liked it.' Kaoru thought. She shook her head trying to rid herself of these horrid thoughts, which weren't so horrid. Kaoru was getting closer and closer to Kenshin each time she was in his arms. She got closer in friendship and physically; he always seemed to hold her tighter each time he took hold of her. That truck driver appalled her for winking at Kenshin, by the way where was he. Kaoru looked around to see him right in front of her. He was staring blankly at her as if he had asked something and she had not responded.  
  
"Did you say something?" Kaoru asked him stupidly. Kenshin shook his head smiling at her pathetic state.  
  
"Yes, Kaoru. I told you that you must be angry about the truck driver and I'm sorry I never meant for it to go that far." Kenshin said. Kaoru was touched that he even cared, if any other man had done that he might have attacked her once they were inside thinking if it was ok in the street why not here. But Kaoru didn't mean for it to go that far either.  
  
"It's not all your fault, I am partially guilty, and I never stopped you. Don't feel like it was all your fault, and the truck driver bothered me not you." Kaoru said in a shockingly kind manner. Kaoru didn't mean for her statement to sound like she didn't mind and wanted him to sweep her off her feet and go at it like dogs but it just came out that way. And there goes the kind kenshin right out the window, wave Bye-Bye.  
  
"So you were enjoying yourself out there?" Kenshin asked almost in a husky voice. Kaoru shook her head no several times and backing up into a corner as he slowly and calmly walked towards her. It was like Peppy La Pew and that cat that always gets the white stripe down her back. He was calmly hoping (not really It's just what Peppy does) towards her as she scrambled to get away; yet no matter how fast she scurried he was always there before her. She couldn't help but feel hopeless as he cornered her in the vast mansion that she was lost in. She didn't even know what room she was in, she just knew she was in the house and so was Kenshin.  
  
"Kenshin . . ." Kaoru stated trying to sound stern hoping she could use her womanly powers to keep him away. You know girls, when you get that stern voice and the stare that looked like if it were possible that the man would freeze. Ice covering his body only leaving his babbling mouth speechless under your look. I love the power. (Ok ill tell you in the A/N at the bottom) ANYWAY! Straying from the subject. Kenshin took tedious step by tedious step towards her. She looked like an animal scared staring with the deer-in-the-headlights-look at him. He could tell she wanted to dash to the right but he could step to the right and grab her then she looked to the left hoping to scurry to the left but he could stop her that way to. Then she looked up at him seeing his multi-colored eyes.  
  
Amber was the base color now. Instead of Purple with amber wisps in them now they had Amber with purple tresses in them. Kaoru never would have guessed that she would end up like this. A few days earlier she would have fell on the floor laughing if some one told her she would be playing Peppy la pew with Kenshin. Kaoru was in an odd position, she didn't really care that Kenshin was coming after her with this look in his eye that she couldn't explain if she tried, but yet she felt like he was a murderer and she needed to run forever.  
  
She felt like she could run all the way home and then some, and at the same time she felt like she could run into his arms and never let go. However she didn't like him, or at least that's what her mind told her. Her heart was saying something different but she tuned that all out. She looked at him and looked to her right then left then down to the floor and up to the ceiling. Her mouth dropped to the floor as she blankly started at the air vent on the ceiling.  
  
"Don't try and pull that trick. I know if I look you'll run." He said, as she never looked down to him. Her chin began to quiver out of disbelief. Her eyes grew and her throat constricted preventing any speech except squeaks and clips and phrases to escape her lips.  
  
"Ken . . .shin." She was able to squeak out before he took another step closer to her. She took one last step towards the corner she was already pressed against. She needed to stay away from him but if she ran it would only make the inevitable come sooner. All she could do was wait and watch as her life came to a screeching halt and there was nothing she could do.  
  
"Kenshin I'm telling you that you can't come any closer." kaoru said to him still looking up. Kaoru was a few paces away from him and she winced when she saw something move within the vent. She looked as if she had seen a spider dangling above her head or something, she would have screamed bloody murder but she was having difficulty getting her voice box to work.  
  
"Why not Kaoru?" Kenshin asked as he took another step towards her only leaving 3 paces in-between them. He was only doing this to annoy her and he liked the squeamish appearance she put on. Everything about her scared form was intriguing and funny. He found this game to be fun. He just wanted to piss her off and she was annoyed at the truck driver. I mean she practically said 'kenshin I don't care, what you did on the street was a-ok with me go ahead, have me!' Boy Kenshin was going to regret this later but now he was a fool. He took another step closer to her closing the gap between them.  
  
"Kenshin," Kaoru started in a low whisper "look in the vent if you do what I think you are going to do nothing good will come from it." Kaoru said to him.  
  
"And what am I going to do?" Kenshin asked not paying attention to her warning. Kaoru rolled her eyes and pointed to the vent. "Answer my question, remember what happened when you didn't answer my question last time?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru's steady gaze on the vent suddenly shifted to kenshin with semi-wide eyes.  
  
"No please no." Kaoru said in disbelief. He was so childish; I mean none of this was bothering her because her mind was clouded with the thoughts of who was in the vent. Two certain people who were compared to animals and who vowed revenge on Kaoru and Kenshin were sitting in the vent over looking the scene. It was quite funny, Kenshin trying to hard to irritate her when it looked like he was a lust crazed man alone in a huge house with a scared vulnerable female. And Kaoru a girl desperately trying to tell him they were there but she couldn't find the words and knew something worse would come out it if she told he specifically they were there.  
  
Yes, that's right Megumi and Sano were in the air vent with a torture devise that no one but Kaoru knew they had. They had one devise each and Kaoru was scared. The devise had a name that name was a CAMERA! Kaoru shuttered as he took another step. He was so close to her and she felt numb.  
  
"So tell me what am I going to do?" Kenshin asked not caring if he had to clasp his hands around her slender waist until she said uncle again. Kaoru gave him a look of dread, she never wanted to tell him but she had to so she could keep him away.  
  
"Well, take a step closer for one. "Kaoru said as he lifted his foot a little as if he was going to copy everything she was about to say. "Um . . . and," Kaoru started looking nervously up into the vent. She had to whisper if she was ever going to come out of this event unscathed. She began whispering. "You were going to do something, I mean I don't really know what just you are . . . I mean were going to do something." kaoru said. Kenshin wasn't satisfied.  
  
"Excuse me? I couldn't hear you?" Kenshin said. Kaoru rolled her eyes. Then his foot, which was still in the air, took the last step towards her. He was so close to her, he was so close that had he taken one baby step closer to her they would touch. Kaoru knew they would keep the flash off and they could take as many pictures and they needed. She heard a snap and she knew they took a picture. She knew the black mail was already being developed. She knew this was the best time to tell him so she made sure that they could not hear her. His shoulder would muffle her voice so she set her head on his chest. She knew that the only reason they could tell it was them in the picture was because of the hair. So kaoru could claim that they found a picture in a magazine or something, there was no proof. They began snapping away at this contact.  
  
Kenshin was a little surprised to see her setting her head on his chest. "Kenshin, I need to tell you something. I . . . I need to tell you that you should have looked in the vent. You will regret this later and when I say you I mean we. You know who is sitting in that vent?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin's eyes grew and he realized what happened.  
  
"You don't mean?" Kenshin started.  
  
"Yes, Megumi and Sano. Now you may think they can only talk about this but they also have a dreaded weapon. They each have a camera in there hands." Kaoru said feeling her face burn with embarrassment. She could have made this situation different had she not run into a corner. Who knows how many pictures they took already. Now she could see Kenshin, out of the corner of her eye, straining his hearing. Once she saw a surprised look on his face she realized he heard another click. Kaoru shook her head realizing they were stuck.  
  
"How will we get out? If you lift your head they'll get a good picture." Kenshin said. Kaoru realized that he cared if her face was shown, he could have her run and get pictures of her face and not his but he didn't.  
  
"I can turn around and run with my face to the wall. Then you can run into the kitchen." Kaoru suggested. Kenshin shook his head.  
  
"No good." kenshin said to her. "I'll turn around and you run, or I can jump up and fish them out of there." Kenshin said. "Take your pick." He added. Kaoru was touched he would do that for her but she wanted to help, they got themselves in this together. Then an idea hit her and the small spark turned into a flame.  
  
"I know what we need to do." Kaoru said and she started whispering so they could not hear anything they said. Once she was finished Kenshin loosened up knowing he didn't need to worry about getting laughed at. This picture of him and Kaoru would even make Aoshi laugh.  
  
"That's a perfect plan. Alright, on three." Kenshin started.  
  
"One . . . "Kaoru said.  
  
"Two . . ."Kenshin said.  
  
"THREE!" They both said in regular voices. Kaoru whipped around too fast for either Sano or Megumi to snap a picture. Her long thin ponytail whipped Kenshin in the face and Kaoru came close to turning around to apologize when kenshin whispered "NO!" Kaoru stopped half way in a turn but they still couldn't see her. She turned back around and kenshin used his incredible speed to run into the kitchen, even if they had time to snap a picture it would be a blur. Now Kaoru turned around knowing they wouldn't waste film on a picture of her alone. She looked around and tried to look cute but impatient.  
  
She looked like she was waiting for him to come back. This whole thing was staged and it looked like it was real. It just looked like she was resting her head on his shoulder both of them whispering sweet words to each other. Then it seemed he had said something inappropriate or hurtful and she turned around crossing her arms. She just looked mad then she almost turned around but kenshin said something inaudible and left the room. The thought he left to got something to cheer her up when he was actually doing something much different.  
  
Kenshin walked through the kitchen looking at the ceiling when he saw it. 


	6. pictures ahoy!

Chapter: 6 He saw . . .  
  
A/N: I love Enishi too, sorry I hade to make him the evil boyfriend, but I love him to bitts. On to the story.  
  
Kenshin walked through the kitchen looking at the ceiling when he saw it.  
  
He saw the air vent that was calling his name. He could practically hear 'Kenshin, Kenshin please look at me Kenshin.' He jumped up and walked to the wall and tried to reach the vent lid. He was to short and since kaoru was even shorter he had no luck with her. He couldn't jump up there because the lid was not off so he would hit the wall. He pulled up a chair and hoped kaoru would not get impatient. He pulled the chair with out a sound to the wall and he stood on top of it. He reached for the lid and slid it off slowly. Kenshin knew that with a little searching he could find exactly were Sano and Megumi were sitting unsuspectingly with cameras.  
  
He put the lid gently down on the table and crawled into the vent. He coughed silently when a cloud of dust spread to his lungs. He began crawling and he wasn't sure where to go so he followed his heart.  
  
Back in the family room Kaoru was becoming impatient so she looked around. She stuck her head into the kitchen trying to make it seem like Kenshin was still in there. Up in the vent however, Megumi and Sano were getting bored. The cameras they had printed pictures once you took the picture but it was small. Since kenshin was gone and Kaoru was just standing there all alone they better look through the pictures. They saw pictures of Kaoru and of kenshin and of them getting closer and closer. But, none of the pictures had them close enough to blow them up and post them around town. They set down their cameras to look further into the pile and they both dug through the large pile. They saw many pictures of them both in the same position but kenshin kept getting closer to her.  
  
Sano perked up realizing that kenshin got really close to her, at least that's what he saw through the camera lens. He was anxious to get through the pile to see both of them close. Then he saw a few pictures of Himself, which Megumi must have taken, some were him just smiling and some were of him looking like a dork. Then he got into the pictures of Megumi some were she was looking like a loser and some of her just smiling. They heard something crash in the kitchen so they perked up.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Sano asked looking to Megumi. She nodded and they both turned for their cameras. They looked to the spot they had left their cameras and they were not there. Then they looked up to see kenshin smiling holding one camera while the other lay busted apart with film exposed to the light next to him. He took a picture of their faces; that would be one for the books. They gave him the deer-in-the-headlights look. They were flustered and confused, how had he gotten up there and how did he know. Then Sano looked down to Kaoru smiling at him.  
  
"Could you have taken any longer Kenshin?" Kaoru asked sarcastically. Kenshin smiled and laughed while nodding. Sano was furious and Megumi was still mystified. Sano understood that Kaoru saw them when she looked right at him and got a scared expression on her face. Then Sano remembered he had taken a picture when she looked so he knew she didn't see. Turns out she did. Before any one could realize what was really happening he grabbed the pictures in hand and jumped out of the vent. Kenshin was the only one here that could really stop him from leaving with the pictures kaoru could only pull his hair and scold him. He was in front of Kaoru as fast as you can say 'Sano'. No one noticed until a few moments later when Kenshin and Kaoru opened their eyes, they were closed because they were laughing.  
  
Sano and Megumi were already making their way for the door each with a handful of pictures. Kenshin ran after them and Kaoru jogged knowing she wasn't much help anyway. Sano grabbed Megumi's hand and ran faster dragging her along. When she tried to wriggle free because she arm hurt he put one arm at the back of her knee forced her knee to bend by moving his arm forward and caught her upper body with his other arm holding her bridal style. He threw his pictures on her lap somehow and ran as fast as he could. When he reached the door he looked behind him to see kenshin quickly advancing. Sano ran outside the door set Megumi quickly but as gently as possible on the ground and held the door.  
  
"Megumi run to my house and lock your self in. I'll hold him off." Sano said to a stunned Megumi who just stood up and ran a few meaningless pictures of Sano and her falling from her grasp. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her into Sano's house. She was still running down the street when Kenshin ran full force into the door almost breaking it. If Sano weren't positioned right outside it would have collapsed from the pressure. Kenshin was very angry so he pushed as hard a she could to get free. He was able to push Sano away enough so that the now useful Kaoru could get through to the outside. First Kaoru tickled Sano so Kenshin could push him further them she ran after Megumi. Sprinting down the block to Sano's house, which was not very far. She was able to se Megumi shut the door quickly and lock it. Kaoru knew just how to get in; Sano had told her every way to get into his house incase it was an emergency.  
  
She ran to the back, seeing Megumi run with her through the window, she got to the back of the house. She saw the siding that was covered in vines so she searched. She looked for the letter that was strategically placed so she could climb to his window with ease. She found it and climbed like the wind, a few times she lost her footing and slipped on a vine but she held on strong and now was not time to fall and break something. She scaled the latter to his room when face-to-face she met Megumi. Of course there was glass door in between them but it was close. They scowled at each other wanting to rip out the others throat. Megumi was soaked and humiliated infront of her boyfriend by kaoru, who she already thought had a major crush on Sano. If Sano ever had an affair Kaoru would be the number one suspect.  
  
Megumi was mad at kaoru for soaking her and ruining her evening with Sano even though she made it better because Sano felt bad for her and snuggled with her after a long session of- never mind. But the night wasn't what you would call "magical". So Sano came up with an idea to get a good picture of them and Megumi decided to break in to Sir Ken's house. Every thing went down hill from then, I mean kenshin didn't have to come after Kaoru; it could have been an uneventful afternoon. But, they saw Kenshin getting a little south of the border with Kaoru in the street so they thought they would check it out.  
  
Every thing went perfectly until now. Kaoru wasn't supposed to get out of the house, but Megumi could take her. Besides Kaoru was on the other side of the door. Megumi quickly flipped through the pictures finding one were Kenshin was close to hugging her. He had a devilish look in his eye and he was less than a foot away from her. Kaoru looked anything but scared and Megumi smiled. She held up the picture to the door and looked kaoru in the eye. Kaorus eyes fell onto the picture and she blinked not able to believe Megumi had a picture of them. She blinked several more times and closed her eyes as if in defeat. The Kaoru swiftly flung her hand up to the doorknob and pulled the door as hard as she could. Megumi jumped at the loud swishing noise and the vision of Kaoru killing her filled her head. Hatred welled up inside Kaoru and she could hardly keep a smile on her face. Her eyes dances with playful vengeance as she took a step closer to Megumi and Megumi took a step away.  
  
Every step Kaoru took Megumi stepped back. And with every hate filled look Megumi tossed Kaoru's way she shot back a playful look of retaliation. Kaoru did not want too hurt the fox just to- whom am I trying to fool; of course she wanted to hurt the fox. But Kaoru knew this was a game of wits, why Sano was involved she didn't know but none-the-less she was a part of this game. And hell would freeze over before she lost to Megumi and Sano. Kaoru didn't want revenge, that word was only used if some one started something and the prankee wanted to get back at them, retaliation, however; was when some one was pranked and they got back at the pranker and the pranker wanted to get even with the prankee. Kind of a confusing concept but one you have it, it is not confusing its retarded.  
  
Anyway, Kaoru took one last step towards Megumi and she backed up. Kaoru smiled and grabbed the picture from a stunned Megumi who was still holding it up. She looked bewildered at her hand that was now vacant of a picture. Kaoru laughed.  
  
"Kaoru, I have more." Megumi said practically. Kaoru took the picture she had and held it up to Megumi. Kaoru walked to his kitchen conveniently located a few steps away from Sano's bedroom, I wonder why? She looked into a small drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. She cut the picture so she was on one half and kenshin on the other. Then she cut the two sides in half incase they tried to tape them together. She was about to cut it again but Megumi came into the room and grabbed the pieces from her hand. Megumi threw them away they didn't matter anyway.  
  
"So Kaoru, You need to pick you know." Megumi started with a new twinkle in her eye.  
  
"Pick what?" Kaoru asked bewildered.  
  
"Well, you can't have two men." Megumi said. Kaoru laughed.  
  
"What are you babbling about?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"You know," Megumi started. Kaoru shook her head and shrugged. "Ho ho ho ho ho, Kaoru, it's either red or brown." Megumi said haughtily.  
  
"Red or brown what?" Kaoru asked. Megumi laughed again.  
  
"You know, red or brown, tall or short, girlish or manly?" Megumi asked getting fed up with Kaorus naive nature.  
  
"No, fill me in." Kaoru said.  
  
"Kaoru! Kenshin or Sano!" Megumi cried as everything clicked in Kaoru's mind. Red hair to brown hair, tall to short, girlish to manly. HEY!  
  
"Megumi! I don't like either of them. Sano is my best friend and your boyfriend. Kenshin is a-a jerk." Kaoru said stuttering a little trying to think of a descriptive word for Kenshin. Nothing came to mind but jerk. Megumi laughed again.  
  
"Kaoru, it's funny how much you don't know about yourself. You and Sano have known each other for years and I've seen you two a few times get a little intimate." Megumi started looking a bit sad and broken. Megumi loved Sano and him her but Sano knew Kaoru longer so his relationship with her was stronger. Megumi felt little in his heart compared to Kaoru and all she wanted was for one of them to tell her if anything were going on so Megumi's heart wouldn't get broken later on. This was just her way of asking Kaoru an important question that could decide the fate of Sano's relationship with Megumi forever.  
  
"Megumi, When have you seen us-"kaoru searched for the words when she suddenly didn't think she should have said that. Kaoru didn't mean that sentence to come out the way it did. Kaoru almost sounded like she was a felon that just got caught for her crime and was in denial. Megumi began tearing up, this woman who generally stayed calm and thought on her feet was crying over the rooster head she loved.  
  
"Well Kaoru, I have seen you cry on his shoulder before and-"Megumi started before kaoru stopped her.  
  
"Megumi, calm down. Look, every one needs a shoulder to cry on and Sano was the only one there for me, he lives right next door incase you didn't know and Misao and you well, I couldn't trust you as much. Just because I cried on his shoulder doesn't mean anything. I love Sano as a friend and nothing more, he loves you. Megumi don't ever think twice about his love for you." Kaoru preached to the teary eyed Megumi. Megumi perked up right after that pep talk and smiled again realizing what she was here to talk about.  
  
"So, what about Sir Ken?" Megumi asked slyly. Kaoru hit her head with her left hand.  
  
"Megumi, what am I going to do with you?" she asked. Megumi looked expectantly at her.  
  
"I'm waiting, and I wont take he's a jerk for an answer." Megumi said. Well that ruled out Kaoru's original answer.  
  
"What do you want to know?" Kaoru asked intriguing the fox.  
  
"Well I just wanted to know what you think of him, but if you'll tell me anything, I want to know everything." Megumi said. As soon as Kaoru's brain could decipher what Megumi asked she instantly regretted her question of 'what do you want to know?'  
  
"Kenshin loves to do laundry and hates dishes. He knows I don't like him. Key words 'DON'T LIKE HIM.' I sleep in the basement. And he has a huge house." Kaoru said deciding not to tell Megumi anything interesting. Kaoru would die if Megumi knew that Kaoru wore his clothes to bed did dishes with him, and Megumi already knew that Kenshin was hugging her in the street.  
  
"You left out Kenshin hugging you relentlessly in the street. And when you told him that you weren't mad at him for hugging you, you were mad at the truck driver. And you must have a dirty mind thinking Ken would DO something to you. But Sano and me couldn't hear what Kenshin said so you got off easy this time." Megumi said to her. Kaoru blushed and looked to the door. She had heard a noise come from behind it. She walked up and opened it seeing Sano and Kenshin both fall on the ground.  
  
Both girls looked sternly at them making them feel naughty yet satisfied. "How long have you been listening?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin looked to Sano and him to Kenshin.  
  
"About two minuets." Both said simultaneously. Kaoru rolled her eyes and began walking out forgetting about the pictures and about Megumi and everything. She just wanted to go home, but she couldn't. She remembered she had to go to Kenshin's house so she groaned inwardly.  
  
"We'll finish this conversation later." Megumi said to the retreating silhouette of Kaoru. Kaoru nodded and rolled her eyes at the same time. Kenshin stood there next to Sano and all three of them shared an awkward moment. The Kenshin slowly backed out of the room and sprinted down the hall towards Kaoru. He stopped running once he reached her.  
  
A/N: I can't think of any thing to do. I know Kenshins job is going to be playing a big pain in the ass role next and im going to cut the goofy stuff...no more revenge schemes...well maybe a little. But I would like someone to help me with what should come next. It has to have something to do with Kenshin's job. Make it something good like crack selling or something. He's in the mafia and I can't think of something to do. 


	7. money

Chapter: 7 $Money$  
  
He followed Kaoru through the halls like a lost dog. Kenshin had been in Sano's house millions of times before but Kaoru seemed to be in a haze of anger, which could result in injury to him. Kenshin just kept following her through the hall down the stairs and out the door. He didn't dare pull any stunt in the street this time; she wouldn't take as kindly to his rough ways. He stayed on the sidewalk and refused to cross into the street until necessary.  
  
Kenshin stayed about three feet behind her staying far enough behind her for his own safety yet close enough to smell the jasmine in her hair. She walked fuming almost so angry she couldn't concentrate on where she was going.  
  
'Where am I? Oh yea.' Kaoru thought as she laughed at herself. Kenshin whispered something behind her about her laughing at nothing and how if he asked about it she probably would knock his head off. 'Megumi annoys me and puts me in a bad mood yes but I wouldn't hurt any one else but her.' Kaoru thought as she listened to the dry sounds of the suburb. She herd machinery from a few blocks away were they were going to add on to their suburb.  
  
Kaoru was getting tired of trudging this same block day after day. When she arrived at Kenshin's she was going to ask him how long she would have to stay with him.  
  
'At times he is really nice but that gets really old. Sometimes I think I need a man who can hold me in his big strong arms and who is confidant and daring. He needs to only have respect for those who give it to him and be almost a bad ass. But he still needs to care for me and love me with all his heart. Yeah...that's what I want' Kaoru thought smiling.  
  
She dreamily walked into Kenshins house dreaming of a big strong caring man caressing her. Then she remembered the one good piece of advice her step mother ever told her: That men that are strong big caring and basically everything a woman could want are either faking it for sex, taken, or gay.  
  
She walked down stairs to her room and jumped on her bed. She lay on her back with her eyes closed dreaming of a man she knew doesn't exist. Then she heard the light footsteps of Kenshin walking down stairs. She sat up on her bed and looked at the door waiting for his knock. She heard his soft knock and she smiled having already memorized it.  
  
"Come in." Kaoru said trying to hide her daze of hunky fake love. Kenshin slowly opened the door and poked his head in.  
  
"Kaoru, dinner is ready." He said quietly trying to keep her peace. She nodded and lay back down hoping he would walk away. He didn't. He just stayed in the same position looking at her from a distance. Kaoru sat up and slid her legs to the side of the bed. She looked over to Kenshin and the eye contact snapped him back into reality. He closed the door with a light red on his cheeks. She shook her head and stood up checking her smell for any body odor. She walked to her dresser and applied a little deodorant and sprayed some jasmine perfume.  
  
She began to walk away when she remembered hearing the deep intake of breath when Kenshin ran up to her. She knew he tried to make it seem like he was out of breath from the sprint but she knew he loved her smell. She took a step back and sprayed a little more of perfume on her. She smiled and walked out the door. She floated up the stairs and into the kitchen. She sat down on her usual chair and picked up her fork.  
  
She drifted off into her own world and slowly began to eat. Kenshin couldn't help but stare at her...this was one of the weird girl moments he guessed so he just left her alone. Then Kaoru snapped out of her daze enough to remember the question she wanted to ask him.  
  
"Kenshin, how long do I have to stay at your house again?" she asked smoothly. He looked at her for a long time trying to figure out what she was thinking about that made her ask him that. He hoped that the glazed love-stricken look wasn't her thinking of a man. Starting to feel slightly out of control of the situation Kenshin huskily answered.  
  
"Umm- im not sure." Kenshin said in a some-what husky voice. Kaoru left her plate full of food and picked it up set it in the fridge for later and began charging down the stairs. She jumped in her bed and fell asleep dreaming of her mystery man with rugged good looks and strong gentle arms. The next day she woke up with a fresh new start and a fresh new mind unlike the dirty one she had the other day.  
  
Kaoru sat up smiling and noticed she was still in her clothes from yesterday. She changed into a light green shirt and pulled out the hair tie in her hair. Her black locks fell to her back and shined blue in the light. Though her hair was silky and smooth it didn't mean it wasn't ruffled and messy. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back up into a ponytail.  
  
She walked up the stairs and into the kitchen were she rummaged through the fridge from the threatening growl growing in her stomach. She walked over to a cabinet and found some cereal. She poured a bowl and began eating. She looked around the kitchen and found herself alone. Kenshin wasn't sleeping so he must be some where for work or something. Kaoru looked around and found a bright green sticky note. She walked up to it after finishing off her cereal. It read:  
  
Kaoru, Gone to ally for work. I'll be home at 4:30. Help yourself to the house and everything in it. Kenshin  
  
Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Help myself to the house and everything in it!" Kaoru exclaimed. She jumped up and down. She didn't care were Kenshin was, she had his house his cars his money his everything. She ran up the stairs and into the master bedroom. She ran into the bathroom in there seeing a huge tub in a rounded rectangle. She turned on the water and threw off her clothes. She washed her hair in the sink near the tub so she didn't have to dirty the water. Then she sponged herself down getting rid of as much dirt and grease as she could.  
  
She waited until the tub was full and the bathroom was steamy. She lit about 20 candles stationed in the bathroom and turned on the radio to a rock station (the zone). She turned off the lights and stuck her toe in the water testing its heat. She pulled back from the steaming water and winced. Then she slowly slid her foot into the water, then the rest of her releasing a sigh of relief.  
  
She soaked in the tub listening to rock music and singing along in the semi- darkness for over an hour until she looked at her hands. Though it was very dark in the bathroom she had realized a significant amount of time had slipped through her fingers because the candles were very low, some of them already at there end. Also her hands were prune-like and she hated the feeling of being so wet she's dry.  
  
She jumped out of the tub turning on a light and extinguishing the candles. She wrapped herself in a amber colored robe she found in the closet and walked down stairs. The light coming from the hallway was so bright she had to shield her eyes from the sun. There were no windows in the bathroom and Kaoru had gotten used to darkness in there. She practically ran down the staircase careful not to fall because it would be a long way down.  
  
When she got to her room she poked around her suitcase and found some suitable clothes. However Kenshin hadn't done laundry in a while and she had to wear a tight white shirt and a black bra. She groaned and ran up to Kenshin's room. She looked through his closet feeling a bit naughty. She found a suitable black shirt at the far back of his closet probably from a long time ago because it fit her every curve perfectly.  
  
Kenshin wasn't curvy so she assumed it was a woman's shirt from some overnight fiasco. She shrugged and happily wore the shirt. She ran back down to the main level and searched for car keys. She didn't look very hard when she thought she should see if he had another car. She opened a door to the garage and found a brand new jaguar convertible.  
  
She almost fell on the floor. "This car is gorgeous!" Kaoru said as her voice caught the walls and echoed through the garage. And then for the first time she saw that the garage wasn't just a two-car garage. This garage was huge, like a parking garage in Chicago huge! She began walking through looking at all the cars. She saw a small yellow Volkswagen, a 1879 red convertible, a small black spider, and a red H2. Kaorus mouth fell to the ground.  
  
"I think I'll take the spider." she said jumping into the car. She fished around in the seats hoping to find the keys in the car. "Damn it Kenshin why aren't you stupid and put the keys in the car?" kaoru asked the air. She stepped into the house and began to search the house hoping he didn't have the keys on his key chain he has with him.  
  
'Call his cell phone or don't call his cell phone, that is the question.' Kaoru thought. She looked in his coat pockets and looked in his laundry room. She came up with nothing so she did what the streets taught her. She walked into the garage and began to hot wire the car.  
  
Before she knew it she was driving to the locksmith. She pulled up and walked into the shop. She rang the small bell and a cashier came quickly to the counter anxious to talk to her.  
  
"How may I help you miss?" The boy asked her. He was around her age and slim but muscular.  
  
"You could do me a huge favor." She said seductively. He practically melted under charms but regained control once he realized she was tricky.  
  
"I'm going to need ID proof of purchase of the car and a license." He said to her winking. She smiled and bated her eyes. She then pulled out her wallet and showed him her ID and license. "Give me your proof of purchase and I'll see what I can do." He said walking out to see the car she had. He eyed the car suspiciously.  
  
"Excuse me. Are you new to this area because the only person here with this kind of car is Kenshin Himura?" He said skeptically.  
  
"Really?" She said sitting on the hood of the car and crossing her legs. She slowly began to rub the hood of the car with her hand and smiled at him her head slightly cocked to the side. He began to fidget under her eternal seductive stare. She looked so innocent with her large blur eyes.  
  
"So can you make me that key?" She asked. She shrugged.  
  
"It'll cost you." He said to her. "But I need to see proof of purchase." He said.  
  
"I don't have any my...brother Kenshin has the proof of purchase and its with him." She said in the most naive tone she could muster up. His eyes softened and he smiled a goofy smile as he looked at her. Just to sweeten the deal a little she pulled out some lip-gloss applied it and kissed the air supposedly "evening out" her lip-gloss. Then she winked at him and slid off the car. She walked over to him swaying her hips back and fourth while she walked. She put her finger under his chin and whispered.  
  
"You've got the key I need." Then she began to walk away just as he was about to lean in for a kiss. Her finger trailed off his chin and she walked back into the shop. He followed her closely and got out all the materials for making the key. After about a half an hour of her blowing kissed his way hen ever he looked up from making the key, it was finished.  
  
He held it out her and she smiled her eyes dancing with delight. She held the key in her hand and laughed with joy.  
  
"Close your eyes and I'll give you a big surprise." She said. He anxiously closed his eyes and was a little jumpy at what was going to happen. She whipped out her purse and grabbed a sticky note. She scribbled 'Kenshin owes you' on it. She kissed the paper leaving a pink glossy lip print. She then leaned in kissing his cheek and sticking the sticky note to his forehead.  
  
She ran back to the car and stuck the key into the hole. She relaxed with the sound of the engine revving up. He ran out of the shop and yelled.  
  
"What's this?" He asked. She shrugged.  
  
"Can't you read? Kenshin owes you! Just put it on his tab I swear he'll pay up!" She yelled pushing the gas and driving away leaving him in the dust.  
  
"Call me," he whispered.  
  
'I am good.' She thought. 'But that was wrong, you mislead an innocent boy for your own personal gain.' Her conscience argued.  
  
"Shut up and get out of my head!" She yelled to herself. She rolled the top down and let her hair flow free in the wind. She rode quickly past the alley so Kenshin couldn't see her and rode to the mall.  
  
After a whole day of shopping she drove home weary and satisfied. She pulled into the garage at 4:29 jumped out of the car grabbed all her bags and the key slid down the banister to her room on hid everything under the bed. She sighed and lay down on her bed waiting to hear the door click upstairs so she could welcome Kenshin as if nothing happened. She looked to the clock and found it to be 4:30 and then she heard the door open. She wearily stood up and tried to make herself look like she wasn't out all day.  
  
She ran up the stairs to find a tired face greeting hers. "Hi Kenshin." She said in a slightly worried tone. He just nodded in her direction walking in to the laundry room to take off his trench coat and shoes. He didn't understand why he always wore the trench coat to work...even on 70 degrees day like today. He smiled closing his eyes. He walked up the stairs blindly and she followed him. She had never seen him so tired and asleep.  
  
She ran up the stairs passing him by about a million steps it seemed. She reached the kitchen and sweat dropped.  
  
"Kenshin I'm going to make you something to eat, but I'm a bad cook. So tonight you'll be eating microwave dinners ok?" Kaoru asked whipping out the dinners and preparing them before he could answer. He walked past her into his room and took a short shower walking out to the aroma of food. Yes it was burnt but Kenshin was hungry and didn't complain about food.  
  
They silently ate there dinner both of them exhausted. Kaoru gave up on attempting the bubby nature because he was too incoherent to even notice she was there.  
  
'I think he just thinks this food magically appeared here.' Kaoru thought. Once she saw he was done she picked up his plate and hers. She threw them away and watched him walk past her mumbling that it was good or something. Soon she walked down to her room and fell asleep as well. In the morning kaoru practically fell out of her bed when she saw what time she woke up. It was five in the morning when she rose from slumber.  
  
She did go to bed at five but she had never been up at five in the morning. She didn't even know if the sun was up or not. She groggily woke herself up and walked upstairs. She passed the calendar and had a double take when she saw the date.  
  
"It's my birthday." She silently whispered to herself. (If I said her birthday wasn't for a month or anything im sorry but I had to speed it along. I couldn't have their love go unnoticed for a month.) Now she didn't know what to do.  
  
'Ok, if I tell Kenshin I'm nineteen I wont have to live with him much longer. But if I don't he wont know my money is accessible by me.' She thought. "Damn." She said walking into the occupied bathroom. Kenshin was standing there brushing his teeth in a towel. His violet eyes wandered over to her when she swore.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked. Kaorus eyes widened and she slowly lifted her eyes upward to see him. Her face began to shine a brilliant red color and she slowly began to back out of the doorway.  
  
"Sorry, didn't know you were in here." She said. He smiled a white toothpastey smile. He moved further into the bathroom.  
  
"It's ok." Kenshin said barely audible through the toothpaste. He spit and stuck the toothbrush back in his mouth. She timidly walked on to the cold tile and grabbed her toothbrush on the other side of his body. She made sure not to touch his exposed skin so she didn't get any ideas. She had left her toothbrush and toothpaste in his bathroom from the other day. Kaoru began to brush her teeth and she couldn't help but look at his bare skin.  
  
Her eyes roamed over his chest but she refused to look any lower. 'Get a grip Kaoru.' She thought. When she looked up to his face he was looking at her smiling. He spit again and lowered down to the sink got a handful of water and washed his mouth of the toothpaste. Kaoru's face began to heat up but she refused to turn pink like he wanted her to.  
  
He stood back up; a smirk was plastered on his white face. Her will to keep her face milky white instead of red was beginning to break. He opened his mouth as if he was going to comment on her fascination with his chest but he just took a deep breath causing the towel to slip further down. He caught the towel and walked out of the room still smiling.  
  
Kaoru finished her business in the bathroom and walked out still thinking about him. She shook his image out of her head and walked down the stairs. She saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. Kaoru gave him a questioning look hoping that he wasn't going to poke fun at her for staring at his chest.  
  
"Kaoru do you have any clothes you need me to wash?" He asked. Kaoru mentally released a sigh of relief.  
  
"I don't know I'll check." She said continuing to walk down the stairs. When she reached her room she found the floor littered with clothes. She picked them up and walked up stairs. She gave them to Kenshin completely forgetting the towel incident. He walked upstairs with her clothes and she walked down stairs to get dressed.  
  
Once she was dressed she walked back upstairs and pulled out a hot pocket from the fridge. She popped it in the microwave and punched in 1:30. She waited for it to finish. She ate her food and thought of what she could do at 5:30 in the morning. Kaoru walked into the family room and sat on the couch. She was board and didn't know what to do with herself today.  
  
She already went shopping and if she went with Kenshin to work she might have to talk to Misao, Unless Kenshin didn't have to work today. Kaoru smiled at her thought and laughed evilly. Kenshin walked into the room and smiled at her. He still was having trouble ignoring her staring at him. He needed to keep that in mind for the next time they got into a fight, then he could bring it up and she would get embarrassed and shut up.  
  
He walked up behind her and began rubbing her shoulders. She jumped at the sudden contact and spun around quickly. She looked left and right until her eyes landed on Kenshin. His hands were in the air and he was smiling.  
  
"There's something you didn't tell me." Kenshin told her. Kaoru gulped as she turned back around not wanting to make eye contact. It was just easier for her to talk to him about important things. Also if he said something uncalled for she could add drama by turning around very quickly.  
  
"A-And what would that be?" Kaoru asked hoping he wasn't talking about that morning.  
  
"Well this morning-"Kenshin began. Kaoru gulped beginning to turn pink.  
  
"Kenshin I-"Kaoru began.  
  
"Kaoru its ok, I understand." Kenshin said to her.  
  
'He understands? Does that mean he-' Kaoru thought. "Really?" She asked unsure of what was to come next.  
  
"Yea, I mean who wouldn't?" He asked.  
  
"Well. Kenshin I'm not really sure what you're telling me here."  
  
"You may not be able to stay with me any longer. I'll have to talk to HIM." Kaorus eyes practically popped out of her head.  
  
'Is he telling me he has to ask to stay with me?' Kaoru thought.  
  
"Well Kaoru I know a lot of people are uncomfortable about it but it comes once a year and you cant stop it." Kenshin said beginning to rub her shoulders again sensing her uneasiness.  
  
"Once a year? Kenshin what are you talking about?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Your birthday. What were you thinking?" Kenshin asked. 


	8. 19yearold billionare

Chapter: 8 19-year-old billionaire  
  
Recap:  
  
Kaoru took Kenshin's spider out for a day at the mall, seduced a locksmith to get a key to the car and used his money to buy tons of stuff. Kenshin didn't even notice she was home when he got back from work and both of them crashed. They woke up at 5 in the morning and were caught in the same bathroom. They had an issue with the freshly showered Kenshin and it was Kaorus birthday.  
  
"I... I was thinking of my birthday too, I just wanted to make sure you were talking about my birthday." Kaoru said slowly. Kenshin ignored her uncertainty and continued to rub her shoulders. Kaoru was happy to hear silence but disturbed by him knowing her birthday. She didn't recall ever telling him.  
  
"Kenshin how did you know today was my..." Kaoru said her string of words fading.  
  
"I had Soujiro find out." Kenshin said looking down at her.  
  
"What else are you two digging up on me?" She questioned forcefully getting angry.  
  
"Soujiro looked up about your parents, your mother, father, step-mother. He looked up your net worth in the bank and told me how much it will grow if still invested in the bank years from now. He told me of any and all records of you in any news paper or document." Kenshin said unsure of what she would do to him.  
  
"I have all the information of your world at the touch of my finger tips." Kenshin said marveling at modern technology. Kaoru on the other hand was appalled.  
  
"So your telling me your stalker friend looked up everything he could on me, my family, and my fortune? And none of you can trust me to give you the information you seek? Well I've got news for you Kenshin; if it were my choice I would never give you or your greedy organization any of my wealth. And you wont be getting to know me any more than the papers tell you!" She said standing up and walking out of the room leaving Kenshin stunned.  
  
"Kaoru..." he said after the door had slammed almost falling off the hinges. She angrily fled down the stairs and out the back door into a lavish garden. She walked among roses, daffodils, irises and hundreds of other flowers. It made her feel at home to be around flowers of all kinds and shapes again.  
  
She practically lived at the flower shop so being around earth's beauty marks was refreshing. She sat down on a white bench and picked a flower bringing it to her nose and smelling its sweet aroma. She happily sighed and leaned against the back of the bench feeling renewed.  
  
'He makes me so angry, but being around the only thing on earth that makes me truly happy is uplifting. Im beginning to feel better, even if it is creepy to know kenshin knows every illegal, spectacular and internet worthy thing I've done.' Kaoru thought standing and walking along a path watching the flowers.  
  
Kenshin watched her from the window on the second floor of his house. He saw how at ease she was in the garden and how her tense muscles that he couldn't soothe were loose and free being around flowers. He envied his own garden but refused to admit he was jealous of a plant.  
  
After a while of frolicking in the dew kissed vegetation kaoru stepped once again into the white house. She left dark brown mud prints along the tile to the kitchen were she began to clean her shoes. Kenshin emerged from the front yard were he had taken his cell call and saw the brown small prints in a beeline to the kitchen. He followed the degraded out of place prints to the sink were a rejuvenated kaoru was washing them off.  
  
She turned and smirked at him with a wicked glint in her eyes. Anger surged through him but he forced himself to calm down.  
  
"Oh Kenshin, I am so sorry, I didn't realize my shoes were dirty till I got all the way up her." Kaoru said a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. But it wasn't just any smile, it spoke a millions word with out a sound, it was a vengeful smile telling him she did know, and that's why there were so many foot prints.  
  
She practically whipped her shoes off on the carpet leaving dark deep smudges. Kenshin looked from her smiling face to the murky smudges on the ground. Kenshins eyes turned from they're kind purple to a dark swirl of heated amber. Kaoru showed anything but fear of this bloodthirsty killer.  
  
He took a step closer to kaoru and she surprisingly didn't move. Kenshin preferred it this way anyhow. He liked his prey to think they stand a chance then find in the end, they never did. Kaoru eyes sparked with the same flame of a challenge that they did the day they first met.  
  
Kenshin stepped forward again getting closer and closer to his victim. Soon he was just a foot away from her. He took a small step closer and Kaoru found herself backing up. He took another step closer and she took another step away. He took a few more steps and she took a few more steps. Then she found herself cornered.  
  
She was up against a counter but that spark in her eyes never extinguished. However Kenshin was getting closer to her and she found out previously that he wasn't always someone to mess with. Though she was never afraid of anyone, she discovered herself terrified of what Kenshin could do to her.  
  
Kaoru refused to show that fear to him, refused to give him the satisfaction that she like the rest of the world cowered in fright of him.  
  
She pulled herself on the counter and slid to the other side of it stepping off. Kenshin continued to walk toward her, the look of a maniac present in his eyes. Step by step kenshin had cornered kaoru into another room. But this one she could not slip out of.  
  
With one quick motion Kenshin lunged toward her catching her off guard. He grabbed onto her shoulders mid-air so she couldn't escape once they landed. Both of them smacked onto a soft cushy surface padded with bed sheets. She looked around her and found she was in his bedroom, on his bed.  
  
She looked up to see Kenshin towering over her, on all fours his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. His hair reached out towards her revealing his crazed eyes. They were slowly mixing into a golden purple as he began to calm down from his sudden outburst. Kaoru raised an eyebrow suspiciously.  
  
"What are you going to do to me?" She asked trying her hardest to keep from sounding weak and afraid. She sounded more anxious than afraid and Kenshin never thought of her as weak.  
  
"Oh I don't know. There are so many possibilities." He said slowly. Kaoru swallowed and smiled uncertainly. This made Kenshin grin widely until his cell phone began to ring. Kaoru smiled relived he would have to get off of her and not kill her. He released her shoulders and grabbed the phone looking at the caller ID. He tossed the cell phone into the hallway and clasped his hands around her shoulders once again.  
  
She gave him a puppy dogface. "Please let me go, maybe that call was important." Kaoru said simply. Kenshin laughed.  
  
"Calls from Sano are never important." Kenshin said looking deep into her eyes.  
  
"But..." Kaoru pleaded.  
  
"You're not getting off the hook. You got mud all over my clean white house, and you're going to pay for it." Kenshin said.  
  
"But I don't have nearly as much money to pay for it." Kaoru said sadly.  
  
"That's not what I meant." Kenshin said quietly. Kaoru nodded and smiled.  
  
"I know." She said. After a pause Kenshin loosened his grip on her shoulders. Kaoru smiled at him getting lost in his eyes. His deep purple amber eyes were like pools she wanted to jump into. He watched her falling into her endless orbs of mid-night blue.  
  
They sat there for a few minutes lost within each other. Kenshin tilted his head to the side and slowly lowered his head toward hers. Her arms snaked around his neck and she bated her eyes slightly. He lowered closer to her and his arms found their way around her waist.  
  
He pulled himself closer to her smiling when she parted her lips slightly awaiting a kiss. He made contact and shivers erupted across his body. Kaoru deepened the kiss in no time and one hand slid behind his head and the other rested on his cheek above his X shaped scar.  
  
She pulled his hair tie from his hair and allowed it to cascade over their faces. His hand moved up her back under her shirt and he rubbed her back soothingly. Her tongue escaped her mouth and slid across his teeth. He opened his mouth when they heard a click. Kenshin was confused for a second then quickly parted from her and sat down next to her staring intently at the door.  
  
Kaoru frowned and wiped her mouth when the door flung open and a dark shadowed figure stood in the doorway. Kaoru sat up from her laying position to get a better look. Kenshin looked annoyed and quickly stood up walking to the door.  
  
"Hey, Kenshin what were you two doing all alo-"Sano began before the door shut in his face. Kenshin turned around slowly to face Kaoru. He opened his mouth to say something then a knock came from the door. Kenshin rolled his eyes and kaoru laughed mentally.  
  
He opened the door to Sano and stepped outside the room. He closed the door behind him and Kaoru stood up running to the door. She pressed her ear against the door listening to their conversation.  
  
"What do you want Sano?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"I want to know what you were doing in there." Sano said laughing. Kaoru couldn't see but she assumed sano was winking to an embarrassed and royally pissed Kenshin.  
  
"We weren't doing anything, now what did you come here for?" Kenshin asked irritation filling his voice.  
  
"Your lying Kenshin." Sano said but shut up from a death glare from Kenshin. "I came here to tell you of a new assignment. Soujiro and I tried to call you but you didn't pick up." Sano said nudging Kenshin, or so Kaoru pictured.  
  
"What's the assignment SANO?" Kenshin asked through clenched teeth. She could hear sano laugh and that made her want to chuckle.  
  
"We've been called to kill a mighty big fish," Sano said solemnly. "If we pull it off, all of us will go down in history... not just you, you spotlight hog." Sano said. She heard Kenshin laugh.  
  
"So who is it?" Kenshin asked curious.  
  
"Kessler." Sano said.  
  
"Oh, you know its not him we should be worried about, its his army." Kenshin said as-a-matter-of-factly. Sano was silent so Kaoru assumed he had nodded.  
  
"Soujiro will call you with all the details." Sano said and kaoru heard footsteps. She jumped up and ran to the bed and sat down just as the door opened.  
  
"Did you catch all that?" Kenshin asked a smirk playing on his lips. Red accented her cheeks as she nodded slowly. Kenshin sat down on the bed next to her and snaked his arm around her waist pulling her closer. A small smile played on her lips, as he looked deep into her eyes.  
  
He leaned forward and she smiled naughtiness shining in her eyes. As he leaned forward she began to lean backwards. Kenshin pulled back a little surprised but perused her lips persistently.  
  
She eventually leaned back so far she ended up lying on her back Kenshin on top of her. He pulled himself towards her lips and grinned because she had no more room to back up.  
  
He leaned in and kissed her but found she had turned her head denying his lips. He kissed her in a line from her cheek to her lips but she just turned her head the other way. Kenshin now became agitated and he lunged for her lips catching her chin. Again he tried for her lips but found her nose.  
  
He gave up and found himself kissing her neck. She moved her head over so he could reach her neck better and he laughed inside. He was taking advantage of the moment and making a beeline towards her lips when his pant began to vibrate.  
  
Kaoru jumped at the sudden motion and looked to his pocket. He sighed and pulled his phone out answering with a "What?" Kaoru sat there watching his aggravated face she smiled and poked him in the side. He smiled and looked at her mouthing 'what.' She shook her head but poked him again bringing a smile to his face.  
  
She continued to poke him until he stepped out of the room to take his call. He walked back in moments later looking at his phone as if he had never seen it before.  
  
"Kaoru, you heard Sano before right?" Kenshin asked looking at his phone still and she nodded.  
  
"Well the boss asked soujiro to ask me to bring you to his office." Kenshin said slowly looking at her shocked face.  
  
"Wh-What does he want with me?" She asked afraid of the answer. He sat down on the bed next to her and looked into her face.  
  
"I don't know, but I wont let any one hurt you." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled and stood up walking to her room. She got dressed again in fancier clothes and found Kenshin. They walked to the garage hand in hand and drove to HIS office.  
  
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update my mom accidentally deleted this story so I had to go online and re read it o remember were I left off and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, I am going to be leaving for camp on Sunday and camp is a weeklong, I get back the next Saturday and then I have one day at home. Then the next day I leave to go on a weeklong vacation. So I won't update for at least 2 weeks. Thanks to all my reviewers especially the ones who don't even know what Rurouni Kenshin is but read this just because I wrote, "Who would have thought." 


	9. sitting goose

Chapter: 9

Sitting goose

The car ride there was loud. Though neither of them said a word unvoiced questions rose rapidly. Both of them were wondering what HE wanted with Kaoru so soon, but Kenshin had an idea. Kaoru nervously looked at his concentrated face. Kenshins eyes only left the road once to glance up at her terrified face.

"HE's not that bad Kaoru. Really, I've talked to HIM a couple of times and he is a all around nice man." Kenshin said reassuringly. She looked up to him sarcasm washing over her face.

"Oh sure Kenshin, the mob boss is always a nice man, he always rubs some one out with a smile." She said disdain filling her voice. Kenshin smiled.

"Technically, im the one who rubs them out." Kenshin said slowly. Kaoru rolled her eyes and looked at his smiling face.

"Great, im riding in a car with killer, and im going to go meet his master." She said crossing her arms and looking out the window. Kenshin frowned and glanced at her then back to the road.

"HE is not my master!" Kenshin said forcefully. At the sudden explosion Kaoru turned to him.

"Sorry, im just nervous about seeing him." Kaoru said quietly. Kenshin's raging eyes diminished into soft ones.

"No one will hurt you with me there, and HE is a fairly negotiable man." Kenshin said looking at her. Her smile was melancholy as she looked to him sadly.

"Kenshin, do you always do what boss says?" Kaoru asked him softly.

"He does not ask me to do things I do not want to do." Kenshin said looking mystified at her.

"Kenshin, if he told you to harm me...would you do it?" Kaoru asked slowly. Kenshin stared blankly out the windshield thinking hard. The car pulled to a halt as both Kenshin and Kaorus doors opened. Kenshin looked to her handing the keys to the man. Kaoru was waiting for an answer form him as the men stood impatiently outside the car.

The man on Kaorus side held out his hand to help her out. Kenshin shook his head. "No." He said quietly stepping from the car. Kaoru, smiling but still full of fear, took the man's hand. They walked into the large building as the men parked his car. They walked slowly into the building awaiting the news.

Kaoru timidly stepped into the large metal elevator, kenshin by her side. They ascended eleven floors before it came to a screeching stop. They stepped out as many other people filed in. It seemed like a regular work office. Kenshin lead her past the busy office and through a rather secluded hidden hallway. He walked down the hallway turning this way and that. Kaoru could tell he had memorized exactly what turns to take and what was behind every door.

She followed him uneasily until he stopped by a set of large cedar doors, two guards clad in black suits head gear and shades stood on either side of the doors.

"HE has been expecting you." One of them said to Kenshin and Kaoru.

"Gentlemen." Kenshin said in a warm but stern voice. Each of them grabbed the handle of one door and opened them revealing a red and black room. Kaoru stepped in nervously behind Kenshin.

"Ahh Kenshin and the girl." Came a man's voice from behind a large leather chair. The man turned the chair around revealing a small thin mask hiding his eyes. Kenshin smiled.

"Yes. You asked to see us." He said slowly. The man nodded.

"Himura, you may be dismissed, I want to speak to the girl." HE said. Kaoru frowned and watched Kenshin slowly walk away glancing back and smiling supportively at her. She smiled uncomfortable and turned back to the man in the chair.

"Kaoru is it? Come, have a seat." HE said welcomingly. She walked towards him and the floorboards separated revealing a red chair waiting for her to sit in it. She sat down and found it to be quite comfy.

"Kaoru, it has come to my attention that you are the heiress of a rather large sum of money." HE said as she nodded.

"You could be very valuable to this company, so long as you cooperate." He said smiling.

"I would like to know what you want me to do for you before I dive head first into the mafia." She said as kindly as she could.

"Smart, good, I like that." HE said a small smile on his lips. "Once this large sum of money given only to you reaches the press, which it will, every one will be after your life to take your money. I can work that to my advantage, especially with this new case." HE said vaguely telling her what she would be doing.

"So you're telling me to inform the press im inheriting millions of dollars, and wait in the wide open for some one to try and kill me? Then you'll work that to your advantage?" Kaoru asked slowly not understanding.

"Sort of. Im telling you to notify the press so someone I am looking to...confront will try to attack you, in which he will be at my fingertips." HE said.

"Oh, and what if some one else gets to me first?" She asked.

"Believe me, they wont. This man probably already knew you were to inherit this money the moment to spoke one word to one of my henchmen." He said smiling still. Kaoru was disturbed by this thought and frowned.

"So, I am being stalked by more than one person." Kaoru said quietly to herself referring to soujiro.

"Excuse me, I didn't catch that." HE said to her leaning more towards her.

"Oh nothing, I was just wondering what would happen if I declined to be your sitting goose." Kaoru said cheerily.

"Now miss Kamiya, nothing good can come from that." HE said beating around the bush. Kaoru gulped.

"How long do I have until I have to give you an answer?" Kaoru asked hiding her fear.

"Ill give you...two hours. How does that sound?" HE asked, but Kaoru knew it wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Yes of course." Kaoru said to him standing up. She reached a hand across the table and the man clasped her hand in his.

"It was nice meeting you." She said to HIM. HE nodded and smiled. She slowly walked out the door the men opening it for her. Kenshin was pacing outside and looked up when the doors opened. He was relived to see Kaoru alive and well.

She smiled solemnly at him. She turned and began to walk out even though she didn't know the way. Kenshin walked up beside her leading her out of the building. Once they got into his car he stuck the key in he ignition and looked at her.

"What happened?" he asked turning on the radio silently so no one could ease drop.

"Kessler knows im a billionaire, once the press knows he'll come after me to get my money and blah, blah. What your boss wants me to do is inform the press myself and stay close to him. Then when Kessler attacks he will be right there to "confront" him." Kaoru said slowly.

"So what did you tell him?" kenshin asked.

"He's giving me two hours." Kaoru said slowly looking at him. Kenshin nodded. They were silent until they pulled into his garage.

"Are you going to do it?" Kenshin asked.

"I don't want to, but I have a feeling if I don't do it, Kessler wont be all HE is after." She said to him stepping out of the car.


	10. what now?

Chapter: 10

Now what?

Once Kaoru was in the house she walked down stairs quickly. She closed her door slowly and leaned against it. She slowly slid down sitting on the ground.

'Man, I've been alone and on my own since I was two. I've said 'no' to thousands of different dangers in life, and now, not even by choice, im stuck in the mafia!' Kaoru thought to herself hot tears stinging in her eyes.

'Lets not cry now Kaoru. Lets balance the good and bad. Good: I...im inheriting millions of dollars. Bad: People want to kill me to get it. Good: I met Kenshin. Bad: Kenshin could be ripped from me or killed any second. Good: If I like the mob, I could have a new job. Bad: It's the mafia. This is difficult.' Kaoru thought tapping her foot on the ground.

'If I say no to the mob boss he'll kill me. Even Kenshin can't defend him and me from the entire mafia. If I say yes I'll have to live with cameras all over and in constant fear for my life. The police cant help me, and there is a possibility that the mob boss will want me to stay with him.' Kaoru thought. Her mind was reeling with thoughts.

Tears threatened to fall at the thought of the mafia. Running around killing people and running form people who want to kill you. Kaoru couldn't even wrap her mind around what they could make her do. She shuttered.

She wiped her eyes and looked in the mirror. She didn't look bad, her skin was still beautifully pale and her eyes weren't red just yet. She stood up and opened her door. She flew up the stairs and searched the house for Kenshin.

She couldn't find him to save her life. She searched the kitchen, family room, front room, dining room, and began to search the bedrooms. She looked everywhere. She ended up sitting on his balcony leaning her head on the rail.

She was a little depressed but more baffled than anything. 'Where is that bum when I need him?' Kaoru thought. She thought she heard something down below her but she ignored it. She heard a knock on the glass door behind her. She thought it was probably a bird or squirrel so she disregarded it. But once it sounded again she turned around.

She didn't see anything but the small clicking noise did not stop. She looked all around her and above her but didn't even see any animals. Then once the small click grew louder she started to freak out. She turned around setting her hand behind her to support her.

A small pebble was underneath her delicate slender hand. She picked it up and looked at it as if it were a space rock. She found that pebbles littered the balcony and they got bigger. Then she heard the loud thud and saw another rock roll into her pile.

She stood up and looked over the railing her hair falling into her face and reaching out to the ground. She saw large smiling purple eyes looking up to her. His red hair outlined his face as his head tilted up towards her. He was smiling adorably and he had a fist full of roses.

Kaorus eyes widened with joy. "Kenshin!" Kaoru squealed breathlessly. His smile only widened at her reaction.

"Come on down." Kenshin said holding up the flowers. A broad smile pulled at her lips as her depression dissipated. She jumped up and flew into the house running down the stairs and out the doors. Kenshin barely had time to lower his head before she was dashing towards him.

Kenshin held out the bushel of roses towards Kaoru. She grinned her translucent white teeth shining. She grabbed them from him and took a long deep smell of the wonderful aroma. She closed her eyes preserving the moment as long as she could.

"Kenshin." She said quietly almost laughing. "What's the occasion?" She asked.

"I wanted to get your mind off of...I just wanted to make you feel better." He said hoping saying that wouldn't get her depressed again.

"Well actually I was looking for you. I needed to ask you a few questions." Kaoru said a smile still playing on her lips. She just couldn't shake off her dreamy mood.

"What did you want to ask?" He inquired.

"Well, I was thinking about it. And I realized that now that im cooperating with a mob boss HE has total control over me. I can't call the cops, im trapped. So if HE wanted me to be in the mafia, or...have anything to do with it. I want to know what its like." Kaoru said casually.

"Wait, wait. You're agreeing!" Kenshin asked surprised. Kaoru nodded.

"Yes, why not?" She asked.

"Kaoru, you could really get hurt. You could get killed. The Mafia is not a game." He said sternly as if she was a child.

"Kenshin!" She scolded. "I know its not a game and im not a child. I have no choice." Kaoru said her eyes lowering to the ground. Then she got a face full of the roses she forgot were in her hand and smiled curiously.

"The boss gave you a choice." Kenshin said.

"I know. But think about it Kenshin. I call the cops and not only do I have the whole mob after me but they'll catch you, Sano, Soujiro, and Aoshi. If I don't cooperate HE'll either have you kill me or HE'll kill me HIMSELF! I have to take the chance." She said logically.

"Kaoru..." Kenshin whispered.

"Technically Kenshin it's safer for both of us if I collaborate. You said you wouldn't kill me if HE told you to, but could you hold your own against the whole mafia?" Kaoru asked shaking her head. "I don't think so." She said.

"Well yea. I guess." Kenshin said quietly rubbing the back of his head.

"So just a heads up. Kessler will be looking for me." Kaoru said.

"I can't believe it..." Kenshin whispered to quiet for her to hear.

"Well Kaoru, we still have an hour left till we NEED to tell HIM your decision, what do you want to do?" Kenshin asked in an almost suggestive voice. Kaoru looked at him and shook her head.

"I wouldn't want to be late to the Mafia Kenshin. Let's go tell HIM and get it out of the way. Then we'll have all day to do what ever you want." Kaoru said walking into the house swaying her hips back and fourth.

Kenshins hands flew up into the air twitching and itching to follow pursuit after her buns. She turned around and Kenshins hands whipped to his back as she smiled a faint red hue present on his cheeks.

She winked and continued to walk into the kitchen. She pulled out a vase and filled it with water putting the roses in it. She set them on the table bending over to smell them one last time before she left.

Kenshin silently followed her in and his hands found their way to her butt. She jumped up in surprise at the contact and made a small noise. Kenshin laughed a little and he made a trail up to her waist.

She turned her head to face him her mind twisting trying to figure out a way to release her. She quickly stuck out her tongue and slid it across his cheek. He jumped back wiping his cheek eyes open in wonderment. He looked at her strangely.

She smiled her eyes laughing along with her. She almost skipped to the car just barely out of his reach. She jumped in the car over the door and bucked up. Kenshin soon followed opening the door like a regular person and turning the key.

He let his hand drop from the ignition but kept his hands in his lap not moving. He looked at her, the same goofy smile dancing on his lips. Her eyebrows shot up as she looked at him questioningly.

"What?" She asked. He shook his head muttering 'nothing'. She looked forward at the garage wall waiting for him to step on the gas. Finally he shifted into reverse and began to back up, clicking the button to raise the garage door.

They began to drive to HIS office Kaoru looking at the quickly passing scenery. Kenshin glanced at her every couple of minutes soaking in her beauty. Her raven locks were blowing and twisting in the wind. She seemed not to be bothered anymore about her problem for her face was worry free.

Suddenly Kaoru turned to him. Kenshins head snapped toward the road and she giggled. Kenshin pretended not to be able to hear her over the wind. He looked at her again wondering what she had wanted.

"Kenshin." Kaoru said.

"Yes?" He asked looking at the road and swerving past a car.

"You never answered me before. About what its like working for the Mafia." Kaoru said innocently.

"Well, Its dangerous as hell. But for such a dangerous job, I never feel unsafe. I know that if I die, it's a worthy opponent who killed me and that the Mafia will avenge my death. And I always have family. The mafia is my family, murderous we maybe but family nonetheless. Over all, I don't think it's a bad job." Kenshin said loudly over the wind.

Kaoru nodded and smiled. "So I would feel safe and I would be with Sano, Soujiro, Aoshi, and you." Kaoru said quietly that even Kenshin didn't pick up on it. They pulled into the parking lot stepped out of the car and watched the drivers take it away.

They stepped into the building an hour still left before deadline. They stood in the cold metal elevator. When the door screeched open they walked quickly out of it and down to HIS office. The same guards stood outside but did not welcome them in yet.

"HE has a costumer in at the moment. It'll be over in a minute." One guard said as they heard screaming then a thud.

"You may enter." Said the other guard. Kaoru nodded unsurely and stepped in. Kenshin followed behind her ready to leave like before. The room was the same except for the pile of bloody human lying on the floor.

Kaoru gulped and when Kenshin saw the crimson stain he rushed to her side. Once he was there he smoothly slipped his hand in the pocket of her denim jeans just out of sight of HIM. At the touch Kaoru felt more at ease knowing Kenshin was close enough to put his hand in her pocket.

HE was on the phone and HIS looming black seat was turned so they could not see HIM. Though they heard HIS rough voice scratching at the person on the other line. While they were waiting Kenshin gave her rump a light squeeze and she jumped.

Her head turned to his grinning face. She glared sharply at him but couldn't hold back a small smile. Kenshin blushed slightly realizing that in his bosses office wasn't the best place for that.

Kaoru was about to whisper something in his ear when she heard the brain-numbing squeak of HIS chair turning around. Both of them faced him and HE looked expectantly at her.

"I accept." Kaoru said quietly trying not to sound the least bit happy. HE smiled wickedly his teeth glinting.

"Excellent." HE said turning his head towards Kenshin. "I assigned Kaoru to live in your house correct?" HE asked and Kenshin nodded. "Has she been trouble?" HE asked. Kenshin shook his head glancing at her.

Kaoru was watching his every move interested in his reply. "Since you are my best assassin, she will be safest with you. Soujiro will fill you in with the information later." HE said as his secretary ringed in saying he had a phone call on line two.

HE picked up the phone saying hello. When they didn't move HE waved them away and took HIS call. Kenshin quickly pulled his hand out of her pocket and stuck it in his own. They turned and walked out down the elaborate hallways and into the creaky silent elevator.

They walked into the parking lot were his car was waiting for them. Kenshin opened the door for Kaoru and she stepped in smiling in gratitude. He walked around and slid in himself. He stepped on the gas and they zipped out of the parking lot.

Kaoru fiddled with her seat belt staring blankly at the road ahead. Her velvet hair wiped in the wind flowing one-way then another. Though it was secured in a ponytail the few wisps of hair that fell out brushed against her rosy cheeks. Her ocean blue eyes searched the road for any hint of excitement.

Kenshin searched her face and grew almost eager to get home. He thought back to the day they first met. He had been in the back alley when she came out to say hi and offer tea.

He truly thought her only a distraction at the time, a challenging, attractive distraction. Regardless of his work oriented attitude they talked. He had told her they talked about the growth of the Mafia in the city. But really he was the Mafia. He laughed. Him and Kaoru seemed so opposite and so unattached to each other at the time.

Now he was sticking his hand in her pocket. If she hadn't gone out for a walk by the pond that day Kenshin probably wouldn't have realized how special she really was. He pulled into his garage and they jumped out walking into the house.

Kaoru sighed not even remembering what she had said before they left and plopped down on the big comfy couch. She smiled and leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She looked so peaceful when she did that. She didn't look tired but almost like she felt complete.

Kaoru had felt better now that she told the boss everything but remembered what HE had said. She jumped up in anticipation. "Kenshin! Call Soujiro." Kaoru said quickly.

"Why?" Kenshin asked annoyed stepping close to her.

"I want to know if there is something we need to do. What does the boss have to say?" Kaoru asked as if Kenshin knew.

"Fine." He said reluctantly as he shuffled into the kitchen.

"I don't think He'll have called Soujiro yet though." Kenshin called back. He dialed Soujiro's number and began to talk.

"Did HE call you...Really...Call me when he does." Kenshin said. "Later." He hung up the phone and looked at Kaoru.

"HE didn't call Soujiro, he said to wait for him to call." Kenshin said. Kaoru looked disappointed but bounced back and the same unrelenting smile was plastered on her face.

"Well, that's ok." Kaoru said.

"What do you want to do now?" She asked as a wave of relief washed over Kenshins face.

'I thought she would never ask.' He thought.


	11. He needs pimp lessons

Chapter: 11

He needs pimp lessons

Kenshin smiled his fingers beginning to twitch with anticipation. Kaoru stood up and paced the room. Boredom began to settle upon her so she began to walk in circles around the large coffee table. Kenshin walked up to her and got an idea, a rather clever idea.

He slowly began to pace around the table with her, his hands behind his back. He smiled a cunning, sly smile that curled upwards and glanced at her. She was in such deep concentration she didn't know he was there. Slowly his arm twisted around her waist. She jumped and looked over at him still walking around the table.

"When did you get there?" She whispered to herself. He looked at her his hair bouncing along with his movements.

"You know…it's an old tradition in some cultures that when a man and a woman walk around a table together, they are getting married." He said partly telling her and partly trying to get her to pay attention.

She looked up at him sideways. "Alright, you got my attention." She said looking at him and moving away form the table. She pushed him away form the table as well and they walked side my side through the halls.

"That's what I wanted." He said in a husky voice. Kaoru shivered but kept it to herself. She smiled inside loving when he used that deep, dark, rough voice. However, she would never tell him that. His arm was still wrapped tightly around her waist keeping her close to him.

His body was warm and she just wanted to cuddle up next to him. She couldn't believe that she had somewhat fallen for him. She preferred to think of it as slightly stumbling upon a distraction. She would never admit that she cared for him...even if she did just a little bit.

"I…I" She stumbled unable to think of anything to say. She decided to just shut up. She walked silently waiting for him to speak. She didn't trust her voice to say anything coherent. He smiled his diabolical plan was working.

He steered her towards the kitchen and released her. She stood there in the middle of the white clean tiled kitchen. She watched him gently open the fridge to look for something. She was appalled.

"Kenshin…" She said with a sigh of disappointment. He turned around quickly at her tone with a questioning look.

"What?" He asked quickly in a worried tone. His eyes searched the room for any danger and saw that kaoru wasn't near anything and no one was here. He thought for a second that he might have been here.

"Your kitchen is to damn clean." She said walking to the counter and grabbing some sugar. She spilled some of it purposely on the floor and swept it under the ledge of the counter.

Then she opened the cabinets and found a bag of chocolate chips. She smiled wickedly and turned around to find Kenshin had already gone digging through his fridge for the lost item he was looking for before. She grabbed a chocolate chip out of the bag and tossed it playfully at him hitting him in the back of the head. She turned around quickly before he did.

She giggled to herself and he smiled and turned around to return to his quest. She threw a few more at him then again pretended to be doing something else. Kenshin let this one slide. Then she turned around and tossed a whole handful of chocolate chips at him pelting him in random places.

He turned around to find her opening another cabinet and no bag of chocolate chips in her hand. He looked at her puzzled. However he knew it was her. She actually seemed to be searching for something. 'Probably something else to throw on my floor.' He thought looking at the sugar and chocolate chips littering the ground.

He snuck up quickly behind her and when she turned to throw something at him, he was gone. She turned around again and as she turned he did as well so he was continually behind her. Once she ventured to step into the other room he stepped forward with her.

"Kenshin?" She questioned her voice unsure and almost hinting at fear. Right at that moment his hands wrapped around her waist locking fingers infront of her and he simultaneously whispered gruffly in her ear. "Yes…"

Her body froze at the contact and her head turned quickly and her eyes met the friendly sight of red hair. At the sight of his hair she knew it was he and not some agent or something. She eased into his body and crossed her arms holding his forearms to her body.

Kenshin rested his chin on her shoulder his hot breath tickling her neck. "Have fun littering my floor with sweets?" He asked as if she were a child.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Until you ruined it." She said mocking a pout. "Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked turning her head to look at him but only achieving a face full of hair.

"Yup." He said nodding his head towards a small carton of strawberries sitting still on the counter. She smiled, released his arms, and attempted to turn around. She was able to face him but their bodies were tangled up together.

"Those are my favorite." She said in an excited hushed voice. He smiled a crafty smile knowing why but choosing not to tell just yet. He let her go and walked over to the strawberries. He picked out a big one and walked towards her. He fed it to her and watched the enjoyment and pleasure wash over her face.

So he wouldn't feel left out Kaoru stood up and picked one up feeding it to him as well. At first he protested claiming he didn't like them but she made him eat one saying that no one disliked strawberries. The more they ate the closer kenshin got to her.

Finally when he was right up against her he whispered in her ear. "You know, strawberries are a potent aphrodisiac." Revolted Kaoru pushed away form him and looked him in the eye. As soon as her mood turned sour the goofy grin on his mug disappeared and he recognized his mistake.

"So all of this has been an act? All you want is to get into my pants?" She questioned her voice getting high and loud. Kenshin violently shook his head saying 'no, no, no' over and over. Kaoru threw the half eaten strawberry in her hands at him and managed to get red stain all over the front of his shirt.

She stormed down to her room sickened by the man she thought she liked. 'Why does he keep doing this to me?' she thought to herself trying to figure out why he acted the way he did. She screamed into her pillow to release anger but it didn't work.

She walked into her closet and slammed the door just to slam it. She turned around and sat there noticing a door in there she hadn't noticed before. She opened it slowly and found it lead to a hallway. She walked curiously down it ignoring the doors along the wall.

She walked strait to the door at the end of the hall, which she opened to find a case of stairs. She looked behind her and smiled walking up the stairs quickly. She came to another door and opened it to find she was in the garage.

"And extra escape…in his time of need." She said to herself putting together the fact that he was in the mafia and it made sense that he should have another way out from the basement. But just remembering that it was his house fired up her anger once more.

She hopped into a car that she had left keys in if she ever felt the need to go shopping again. She started the engine and drove out of the driveway. As she reached the end of the drive way she heard her name being called by a familiar voice.

"Kaoru! Kaoru get back here! Please!" Kenshin called to her from his garage. He had gone down to her room to plead for forgiveness and found the door was open. He walked in and since she wasn't there he feared she had escaped. He found she had forgotten to close the other door leading to the hallway form her closet and he knew she had gone through it.

Kenshin was waving form the garage at her telling her to get back. She continued to drive scowling at him. Kenshin watched her helplessly and then looked around to see all his neighbors peeking form their doors. He smiled and waved rubbing the back of his neck, a faint blush on his cheeks.

He ran inside and grabbed his keys and he drove out of the garage after her. He was beginning to get angry with her. She was reckless, selfish, and didn't think of the consequences of her actions. She could get injured; Kessler could come after her now, hell she could pick up a guy!

Kenshin not only got irritated but troubled and apprehensive. She could injure herself or others. It just wasn't wise for a billionaire 19 year old, with out escort, to go gallivanting around town in an expensive car while the enemy of the mafia is looking to kill her.

Kenshin shook his head speeding up past the limit to get to her car. He stayed close behind her until they exited off to a highway. His car pulled up next to hers and he looked back and fourth from her to the road, then back to her again.

She looked stubbornly at him and stuck out her tongue. Kenshin was on the inside and he skillfully veered his car closer to hers. He was getting so close she had to move over so they didn't crash. He continued to move until she was pushed off the exit so she began to drive on an old abandoned road with many potholes.

Her car bumped around and she had to slow down so she didn't fly over the bumps in the road. She began to admit that kenshin knew how to drive far better than she did. Finally she gave up the chase and pulled over to the side of the road. She sat in her car in a fuming rage.

Kenshin could sense that he had won the chase but not the game. He pulled up behind her and waited. He knew it would be too soon to talk to her but to late to apologize and get a better reaction than a slap in the face.

He still didn't understand why she flipped out like that. When he said things like that to other women they melted into his hands and took off their tops. However, those women were one-night stands. He was forced to be with kaoru for god knows how long. So he had to be more patient.

He stood up and walked towards her car and she rolled up the window even though it was a topless car. He knocked on her window playfully. Kaoru rolled it down agitated and refused to look at him. She just stared determined out the windshield. Though just seconds ago kenshin was agitated and wanted to shove her rash actions in her face her angered look gave him a painful ping in his chest.

For a second he forgot what he was going to say and he kept silent. Then his moment of vulnerability was gone and his clever composure returned. "Can I see your license and registration ma'am?" He questioned while leaning on one arm, mimicking a cop.

Kaoru looked up her face twisted in an ugly scowl that voice 'I don't want to play' before she even said it. She opened her mouth but Kenshin began to talk before she could even draw a breath.

"Im going to have to have this car towed if you cant prove to me this is your car." He said slowly smiling wickedly with an air of 'im always a step ahead of you'. Kaoru forced an, 'I hate you' smile and got out of the car slamming the door.

"Do you want to try me Kenshin?" She questioned her hands flipping in the air in an angered way. Kenshin smiled.

"Come and get me." He said urging her to step closer.

"You don't want to know what im going to do…" She whispered as her voice was carried away by the growing wind. The sky began to get dark as large black clouds were rolling in behind Kaoru. Though the majority of the sky was blue and peaceful behind Kenshin.

"What are you going to do? Hit me?" He asked pointing to his chin. She smiled and laughed a bit in spite of herself.

"No…I wont touch you." She said pulling out her cell phone slowly from her belt. He crossed his arms questioningly as he watched her amused. The clouds form behind her continued to plow through the sky dominating the blue.

She began to dial and kenshin wanted to know whom she was calling. Though part of him wanted to take the phone away and toss it into the creek.

"Hello Sir…Oh im fine…No im not going to back out…no im still with you…no I haven't seen Kessler…He's fine, a jerk but fine…I was just wondering…yes I can hold." She said as she called HIM.

Kenshins eyes widened as he realized whom she called. "How'd you get his number?" He asked quickly as he saw her wickedly smiling face with the backdrop of huge black clouds and flashes of thunder.

"I called Soujiro incase I would need it." She said coolly.

"What are you calling HIM for?" He asked his calm demeanor returning to him.

"If you're going to be such a dick im going to live in the capable hands of Sano." She said her nose high in the air looking down at him haughtily. Kenshin felt dim-witted for not realizing that's what was happening but he quickly regained his clever attitude.

"Oh really?" he asked and she nodded. "What would happen if your cell phone broke before he came back?" He asked. Kaoru looked unsure and quickly pulled the phone off her ear to look at it. It was still the same sleek small silver phone as before. She looked up at him and he nodded to her hand. She looked back down and the phone was slit in two.

Kenshin smiled widely and lifted up a blade. Kaoru's eyes became slits and she glared him down. She dropped the phone and walked towards him. She poked him in the upper right shoulder with her index finger.

"You're paying for that. You're such a dick head; first you make fun of me at the park, and your always making a move on me. And now you broke my phone, drove me out of the house and tried to tempt me! The only reason why you kept me around was because you wanted to get in my pants, then when HE gave you a reason to be stuck with me you think that because I cant just slap you and walk home because of obligation to the mafia you can assume im yours." She spat out wickedly.

Kenshin only smiled as the large black clouds behind her rolled in. While both of them were wrapped up in yelling and the incoming horrid weather Kenshins car started up. Kaoru turned around surprised to see Sano in Kenshin's car and Megumi in Kaoru's car. They started them up and began to drive away. Kaoru was so surprised and shocked she couldn't speak. After standing there for several seconds she burst out into a sprint after the cars.

"NO! Megumi! Damn it!" She yelled as she ran after them as fast as she could. It was too late, the cars were speeding out of sight and the clouds were now fully over their heads. It was now dark and thunder rumbled angrily above her head. All of the sudden the clouds opened up and the pent up water behind them rushed out of them on top of Kaoru and Kenshin. It was one of those unexpected downpours that soaked you to the bone within seconds. Her light pink baby tee shirt clung to her and her short white shorts became increasingly uncomfortable as they began to climb up her legs when she walked.

She turned around her normally large beautiful eyes in slits that looked dangerous and ruthless. Her mouth was small and she had a soft hint of pink across her cheeks out of frustration. Due to the rain it was humid and foggy but her eyes flashed hazardously through the thick weather.

"You did this on purpose." She said quietly through the padding of the rain. Normally she is a very happy person in the rain and enjoys sitting on the wet ground and letting the drops fall on top of her for hours.

"I swear I didn't. How could I have known you were going to flee from the house?" He asked crossing his arms. He was, surprisingly, telling the truth. Megumi and Sano decided they had nothing to do so they would follow Kenshin and Kaoru.

"Your tricky like that." She said sighing as she walked closer to him. "Listen, I am going to start walking home, follow me if you wish but if yu try to start that seductive shit again, you'll be walking home with a limp." She said threateningly. She started to walk the way she came and Kenshin stood dumbfounded.

'I cant believe she doesn't want to find somewhere out of the rain.' He thought. It was a coincidence that the rain came and he hoped she would want to go into a cave or something where they could be alone and he could fix everything.

Kenshin ran up behind her his red and white shirt soaked and his black blue pants dripping. The rain had let up a bit but it was still coming down hard. Kenshin ran up behind her and walked a good three feet behind her.

"Sorry about the cell Kaoru." He said quietly. Kaoru was hardly able to tell the difference between his voice and the drops of the rain. "Buy me a new one and it'll be fine." She mumbled irritably.

Kenshin was getting sick of her cold attitude. She must really hate men who try to seduce women. Kenshin couldn't even think of anyway he could get her to stop hating him.

"You know Kaoru, im not the only one who tried to seduce someone." He whined quietly.

"Oh really?" She questioned. She stopped were she was and looked at him over her shoulder.

"You were the one who was throwing chocolate chips at me. Your sending me mixed signals." He said in a slightly sullen voice. She turned all the way around her hand on her hip looking at him like he was a psycho.

"Mixed signals! You tried to seduce me!" She said using the same defense again.

"Oh that's always your excuse. Im always "seducing" you." He said in a sarcastic tone emphasizing the word seducing with his fingers.

"Kenshin, I don't want to fall in love again, all that comes form it is hurt. How many times do I have to tell you?" She asked in a calm im-always-right manner.

"No, you're scared." He said his eyes locking with hers. "You fell in love with a man who didn't love you too. He was mindless and stupid enough to hurt you. To not fall in love with your beautiful face and loving attitude. You may be broken up about it but he's the **real** loser, he lost you." He said in a dead serious tone.

Kaoru was speechless. She couldn't believe Kenshin was saying this to her. Kenshin always seemed to find a way to be sweet after he pissed her off. He would always do something rash and make her angry because she wasn't like every other woman and he was always categorizing her with every one else. But now, now he was acting innocent and kind and almost…seemed like he…might just…kinda sorta…love her.

Kaoru shook her head not only sending stinging water drops every where from her long whip-like ponytail but shaking the thoughts out of her head. "Kenshin." She mouthed, unable to actually speak and the rain was pouring harder. The weather seemed to be wavering like her emotions. First she was ferociously angry and the rain was beating down, then she was calming down as she walked away and it lightened up, and now she was so madly confused and the raindrops were getting bigger.

It was getting very loud and even if she tried to speak, he couldn't hear her. She could barely see Kenshin's bright red hair through the thick curtain of rain and the fog that has long since been steadily getting thicker. His outline was visible still but with this fog it was impossible to tell which way was up and what direction would lead her to some place safe.

Even if she did feel safe just knowing that kenshin was near her she wanted to be someplace dry. She could see Kenshins figure getting closer to her and before she knew it his blindingly bright purple eyes were in her face. Before she could act his head was at the side of hers and his breath was felt through the rain on her neck.

"Kaoru, can you hear me?" He mumbled in an almost upset voice. She nodded her head.

"Ok. I don't know about you, but I would like to find some place dry." He said quickly into her ear. She tried her hardest not to tilt her head so his breath could stop tickling her. She felt him pull away and his hand touch hers. He brought his head back once more.

"I'll find a dry place. Wait here." He said loudly, making sure she heard him. Before she could protest he was gone in a flash. She didn't even feel him recoil and walk off, it was just he was there…then suddenly he was gone.

She had to figure out how he did that. That's how they got to her before at the park so quickly. And he ran so fast. He was to damn mysterious. She vowed to figure him out and find out his past, why he was like this, everything.

He knew plenty about her, but she knew next to nothing about him. She stood there in the fog looking stupid, but the fog was to thick to see her. So she could have been picking her nose and no one could see. And just as fast as Kenshin was gone he was back again.

Just like before he brought his head close to hers to instruct her on where to go. "I found a good place." He said as he grabbed her hand. "Its not to far from here." And he began to walk slowly and he practically had to pull her from her spot since she was so shocked.

Once she took everything in that just happened she found herself walking through a mushy field of…grass she hoped. Before long she found herself actually enjoying this misty walk. She loved the rain and holding hands with Kenshin wasn't too bad.

It was kind of nice to hold hands and just peacefully walk through the rainy fog. She began to run jerking kenshin into a light jog. Running through the rain was always her favorite thing to do. When people would tell her to save it for a rainy day she would always tell them to use it now because running in the rain takes up your energy.

Soon the rush of her running beside kenshin caused her to burst into a sprint. She could smell the aroma of flowers mingling with the smell of rain and fish as she jolted here and there. Every once and a while kenshin would jerk her to the left or right. It was as if he had drawn a map of how to get there in his head. She still didn't know how he was able to find anything in this fog.

Kaoru was beginning to wear herself out and her sprint fell back into a run. The rain was beginning to lighten up. The small drops cascaded down her back and neck, further soaking her already wet clothes. She was so wet she felt like her cloths were going to melt right off her body if any more water was dumped on her. Her fingers were pruned and she could feel that Kenshins were as well.

The rain wasn't as loud now and she could hear her own labored breathing. Kenshin seemed to be fine, breathing regularly and running at a brisk rate. She looked over to him and found the fog had let up enough for her to see object three feet infront of her but no further. She could see his usually bouncy hair had lost its body and just seemed to be a mess of red hair on his head.

His shirt clung to him outlining his thin but muscular body and his pants looked extremely uncomfortable. When jeans get wet they decide to feel like someone his running a cheese grader across the inside of your legs. But Kenshin showed no uneasy feeling and actually looked semi-happy to be running in the rain. When he looked over to her, her head snapped in front of her.

Kenshin could see the pink on her cheeks and smiled in spite of himself. Her light pink baby tee was a v-neck and was clinging tightly to her round breasts. Kenshin could see through the shirt and cursed the gods who told her to wear a bra today. His eyes roamed further down her body to the light shorts that rode up her ass. Kenshin couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

It was raining yes but he could see through her cloths and just as she was beginning to cool off and maybe forget what he said to her the fog began to clear enough for him to look at her. And he was almost to the cave, which gave them further privacy. This crappy day was beginning to turn into a very good day.

Kenshin pulled her arm to the right one more time as a large outline of a mountain came into view. Kaorus run became a slow leisurely walk as the came to the mouth of the cave. They walked in the cave slowly and the fog became thin and the rain stopped. Kaoru could see hi easily now and him her. However it was slightly damp in the cave and dark.

They walked further in hoping it would be drier. Kenshin continued to walk mumbling something about wood and when he came back he had an arm full of wood. He started a fire, which lit up the whole cave. Kaoru looked down at her outfit uncomfortably and her face turned a bright glowing red, which resembled the fire.

Kenshin pulled off his wet shirt quickly and rung the water from it. He managed to hang his shirt form a ledge near the fire where it could dry. Kenshin looked up at her water dripping down his face a stream of it running through the lines of his scar. His muscular chest was showing and Kaoru blushed a bit to his forward actions.

'He's drying his cloths.' Kaoru thought to herself reassuringly. 'Which is what I would be doing if he wasn't here.' Kaoru thought resentfully. Kenshin took off his pants and rung them out as well and hung them up. He was standing in his boxers looking away form Kaoru.

Though Kenshin secretly hoped to god she wanted her cloths dry to her didn't want her to think he was anxious. He rung out his hair as well and ran his fingers through it then put it into a low ponytail again. Kaoru walked further into the cave looking for anything she could use to cover herself. Something about being in only her underwear alone with kenshin in a cave didn't sound safe.

After being turned from Kaoru for a while Kenshin was getting a hold of himself and was feeling more at ease even if he was in wet boxers in a cave. He turned around and saw she was gone. He figured she was only looking for something or taking off her cloths elsewhere. Kenshin didn't bother about it much and sat down near the fire holding out his hands for warmth.

Kaoru couldn't find anything worth taking with her to cover herself but she knew there were sticks for the fire. If necessary she could beat him with one. She walked back to where he was but she was still in the shadows. She stayed there while taking off her shirt and shorts. Her bra was skin colored and she was wearing black undies.

"Kenshin…" She said still lurking in the shadows afraid to come out. He looked up to see her figure in the shadow of the fire and he smiled warmly.

"Yes." He said with the padding rain as background noise.

"Close your eyes." She instructed in a wobbling and unsteady voice. Kenshin laughed but did as she said and closed his eyes. He even put his hand over his eyes to add to the affect.

Quickly she ran over to the ledge he put his cloths on and she hung her cloths as well. He could hear her feet padding across the stone floor. He moved a finger and was about to open and eye when her voice intruded in his mind.

"Don't peek!" She shouted angrily the uncertainty of her voice diminishing. Quickly his hand snapped together and he heard her feet move to the other side of the fire near the firewood.

"Ok." She said in an unsure voice. He lifted the hand from his face and saw she was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped protectively over her long creamy legs. He laughed at her and for a while they both sat there in front of the fire watching the flames lick the wood and reach for the roof. Occasionally she would carefully and slowly unwrap one arm to throw some firewood on the fire.

"Kenshin." She said after a while having gotten more comfortable. The quiver in her voice was gone and was replaced with emptiness and fatigue.

"Yea." He said casually his right leg stretched towards the fire and his other bent with his arm resting on it.

"Why are you in the mafia?" She asked watching the fire in a hypnotized type state. Kenshin looked up at her then to the floor in thought.

"Well…when my parents passed on, I got into a rough crowd. We smoked and drank and trashed homes and stole and beat up anything that walked." He said in a low almost threatening tone. "But me and a select few who thought it was time to move on to bigger fish joked about the mafia." He said.

"Then one day a mafia member over heard us talking about it and he mistook us for the real thing. I guess at the time HE had recruited some new guys form the neighborhood and asked his guy to find em'. But that guy didn't know who they were and thought we were those guys. So he took us to His office with a little persuasion." Kenshin continued. 'Why am I telling her this?' He asked himself but was unable to stop telling her.

Out of her anticipation and excitement of the story she loosened her grip on her legs. Kenshin avoided looking at her body and focused his eyes on her deep blue ones. "When HE saw us he knew the man got the wring kids but played along. We didn't really realize it was **the** mafia. We were kinda in your situation…we were forced to work for the mafia because we knew about it." He said sorrowfully.

"But I have learned to love it…and so have my buds." He said looking around the cave and at the fire; anywhere he could to escape the inquiring eyes of Kaoru.

"Who were your buds?" She asked hopefully.

"Sano, Aoshi, Soujiro, and a man who…is no longer with us." Kenshin said closing his eyes.

"Oh Kenshin…"Kaoru whispered her hand reaching out but she was across the fire. "I didn't know." She croaked out her arm quickly shrinking back.

"I know…It's not your fault…" He said quietly looking at the ground. His cross scar tingled at the mention of him and he could feel tears knocking in the back of his eyes. Kaoru was now sitting cross-legged looking upset and at the brink of tears. Slowly she crawled over to Kenshin's side of the fire. She grabbed one of Kenshin's hands out of his lap carefully.

She was sitting on her legs and held his hand in between both of hers. She put his hand to her lips. Kenshin watched her take his hand in hers and noticed in the back of his mind that a mostly naked woman was grasping his hand but he pushed that away quickly.

"Kenshin, I am sorry. I feel for you." She said in a very low, hushed voice. "I know what its like." She said as she opened her eyes and looked deep into his. Sorrow and happiness mixed in his deep purple eyes.

"Kaoru, I'll be ok. It happened a long time ago." He said looking up at her, for she was sitting on her legs.

"Then just know I'll always be here for you." She said letting go of his hand. Kenshin smiled a cunning roguish smile.

"Will you always be there for me…mostly unclothed?" He asked. Kaoru's face turned a bright red of embarrassment then of fury. Her eyebrow twitched and her first reaction was to cover her chest. One arm went over her chest and the other flew into the air and soared to his cheek were it hit as hard as her body would allow it. This all happened in one swift movement and left kenshin lying on the ground of the cave several feet away.

He was twitching in pain and his face was beginning to turn red and puffy. There was a large inflamed handprint on the side of his face. Kaoru stood up and walked over to the pile of firewood and picked up one of the larger thicker sticks. She held it up high over her head and walked over to kenshin.

Just as he sat up and began to rub his wounded cheek he looked up to see Kaoru clad in wet underwear and a large stick over her head with a wicked look on her face. He closed his eyes as she began to swing the stick towards his already damaged head.


	12. Tigereyes

Chapter: 12

Something

Kenshin sat there in the corner of the cave rubbing his bruised head for the hundredth time. He looked over to kaoru who was sitting on the other side of the fire. She was huddled up near the fire looking rather chilled. She had her arms wrapped protectively around her body so kenshin couldn't get a good look at her even if he could see through the fire, which he couldn't.

Kenshin defiantly regretted the last thing he said to her, he didn't think she could hit THAT hard. The more he thought about it the more his head began to throb. Right where she hit him seemed to hurt every time he thought about that incident.

'Ok' Kenshins mind admitted. 'I guess I might have pushed her a little to far…but if she's going to be there for me shouldn't she be the way I want her to be?' he thought. At the thought of Kaorus silky naked body near him, red crept onto his cheeks and he quickly shoved that thought to a vacant spot in his mind.

He would save that thought for a rainy day…one where he wasn't naked in a cave with an angry Kaoru. He opened his mouth to apologize when he looked up to see her shivering violently. Kenshin stood up to check and see if her cloths were dry but found only his were mostly dry. Hers were still damp since they were further from the fire.

Kenshin pulled his clothes down from the ledge and handed them to her. She looked up and scowled at him and turned the other way. Kenshin sighed. "Kaoru your cold…" He stated plainly. She just let out a small humph and shot her nose up into the air.

"Take the damn clothes before you freeze." He said moving his clothes into her line of vision. Kaoru reluctantly grabbed his clothes and threw them on quickly. They seemed a bit baggy on her but Kenshin and her were relatively the same size.

Quickly her body began to warm up and she sat, happier, by the fire. Kenshin just watched her pleasantly. "Kaoru, Im sorry for what I did. It was wrong." Kenshin said in a forced apologetic tone. Kaoru laughed a bit.

"Wrong, yes. Sorry, no." She said in a tone that said she had it all figured out. Kenshin smiled. "But I gave you my clothes." He said in an almost whiny tone.

"By choice." She pointed out.

"Kaoru please forgive me. I am sorry. Though I meant it at the time I now know better." He said rubbing his head for emphasis. Kaoru laughed slightly.

"I guess so, but that's only because I don't know how much longer we'll be in this cave." She said watching the fire in exhaustion.

"Tired?" He asked as he let out a yawn.

"Yea." She said sleepily. Kenshin stood up and walked towards Kaoru and sat down next to her. His body was touching hers as he huddled up next to her.

"Cold?" She asked looking at him.

"Very." He said. "You can sleep on my shoulder." He stated like it was nothing. He didn't take his eyes off the fire in hopes that she would leave the beating stick on the ground. Surprisingly all she did was lean her head on his shoulder and close her weary eyes.

Several hours' later Kaoru's eyes pried themselves open and she tried to blink the sleepiness away. She felt very warm but saw that the fire had died down. She noticed that she was sleeping on something very soft and warm. She looked down to find a bare chest.

She jumped up and screamed, her loud shriek resonating throughout the cave. Kenshin was startled awake by the loud sound and he jumped into a sitting position. He looked around the cave to see the fire died down and Kaoru was standing looking horrified at him.

He rubbed his eyes and felt a chill sweep across his chest but he was warm so it didn't seem to affect him. He looked at her in a slightly confused manner. "What happened to you? See a snake?" He asked blinking for a long time trying to get used to the little light that there was.

He looked up at her innocently as if nothing had registered in his mind. "You…we were…and it was…but I didn't…and you couldn't…but, you don't know?" She fumbled as she tried to spit out her words. She looked at Kenshin in a helpless state. She just looked like she wanted him to know so she didn't have to look stupid and tell him.

"I just…and you were…and we didn't…you wouldn't…I would have remembered…it was only a little while…I…I'm having a lot of trouble." She said sighing and sitting back down on the ground. Kenshin smile was lopsided as he looked at her very amused. He was leaning on his arms feeling tepid and calm. At this moment he didn't give a damn about anything.

"Yes you are." He said smiling a bit wider as he watched her trip over her words. She looked up at him and gave him the 'you're a jackass' smile.

"Kenshin do you know that when a girl sleeps on your shoulder you are supposed to stay awake?" She asked trying to get him to understand without having to really say it.

"Yea…and I did, you were asleep and then your head fell into my lap and my leg fell asleep so I decided to sleep because when you sleep you cant feel anything." He said knowingly but still not understanding. Though he didn't realize it having Kaoru sleeping on top of him gave him a sort of "high." Nothing seemed to be affecting him any more.

"Kenshin, I move in my sleep." She said plainly dropping larger and larger hints. Kenshin shrugged slightly.

"I know, you moved from my shoulder to my lap." He said slowly trying to figure out why she was telling him things he already knew. Kaoru's face began to heat up with frustration.

"Kenshin…we slept together!" She yelled loudly in an exasperating huff of emotion. Kenshin looked up to her in a cool manner until he understood what she had said and his eyes widened.

"And I was asleep for it?" He shrieked obviously upset that he missed this great event. Kaorus hand flew into the air and slammed hard against his cheek out of reaction.

"Not THAT" She said emphasizing the word 'that' and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Kenshin rubbed his soar cheek looking resentful. "No…no we didn't…you thought we…no…eww no." She said trying to defend herself and act like she had never thought about it before.

At first Kenshins cheeks flushed in embarrassment then it faded and he smiled. "Would it really be that bad?" Kenshin asked faking low self-esteem just to get her to go back on her word. He really just liked to hear her trip over her terminology.

"Well no…I guess…but we didn't...but if we had…I mean you aren't that hard on the eyes…but I've never thought about it…" She tried to begin but fell silent. She looked up to see a confidently smiling Kenshin beaming with pride.

She just looked at him shocked. 'I can't believe I just said…I just admitted that he's hot.' She thought her mouth slightly open.

"So you wouldn't really mind having sex with me? Because you think im sexy?" Kenshin said in an honest voice. Kaorus face turned a bright glowing red as she sat in the cave. She turned her head to hide her gaping mouth.

She mumbled a few incoherent words as she searched the cave for something to look at to distract her gaze. She looked upon the pile of wood sitting near her. She stood up mumbling about feeding the fire as she picked up a few logs and set them up around the small blaze.

Kenshin just smiled smugly as he watched her. He coughed as soon as she was done to draw her attention. She looked up a bit but her eyes dashed to the ground immediately.

"Kaoru, its ok." Kenshin said quietly still smiling like a fool. He loved to see her face turn red out of childish embarrassment. Some times she was so naive but it made her all the cuter.

"I know it's just…that fricken smile of yours…I can't seem to stay mad at you for long." She said speaking slower but still in clips and phrases. She smiled weakly as she sat back down on the ground. She plopped herself on her back, and she stared at the ceiling as she lay there.

As she ran over the events that had occurred during the day she smiled and even laughed a bit. Kenshin crawled over to the oblivious Kaoru. He moved his head into her line of vision and her eyes widened a bit in surprise. She had been so lost in though she forgot she was still in this cave with Kenshin.

"Hey." She said in a rather low quiet voice. His head looked upside down because he was above her. "Hi." He said in an expecting voice.

"You want to tell me what you're laughing about?" He asked tilting his head to the right in perplexity.

"You." She said smiling.

"Me? What did I do?" He asked at first curiously then his eyelids lowered a little as he looked at her in a seductive way.

"Not what your thinking." She said smiling complacently. "Just the stupid things you do that make me smile." She said her haughty smile fading into a small happy one.

"What stupid things do I do?" He asked defensively. Kaoru started laughing at his question but stopped quickly once she saw he wasn't kidding.

"Well…you drag me into a cave because its raining and foggy, you tell me to stay naked when im around you, you give me your dry clothes, you cant figure out that I slept NEAR of you despite my attempts to tell you, you ask me stupid questions." She said counting on her fingers.

"Oh…well that's nothing…you obviously haven't lived near Sano long enough. He's the stupid one." He said quickly trying to revive his calm collected reputation. 'I'm actually normally a calm guy…you just make me do goofy things and say things I would never say.' He thought to himself as he smiled at her, wishing he could tell her that.

"Oh, ok…sure." She said beginning to laugh. Kenshin laughed a little as well but they both fell silent relatively quick. Kenshin stood up quickly and took her now warm dry cloths off of the ledge and held them out to her hoping she would give him his cloths back.

At first she stared at the clothes like he was handing her some foreign object that she didn't know what to do with. Finally it clicked in her head and she stood up holding the clothes to her chest savoring the warmth. She held up her index finger and spun it.

Kenshins eyes showed a dim glimmer of disappointment as he turned around and folded his arms on his chest. He could hear his cotton clothes sliding off of her silky skin. The sound of the zipper sent a small chill up his spine and just as he was about to turn around and take a small peek a pair of blue pants met his face.

He toppled over from the contact and pulled his jeans off his head. He slipped on the pants and smiled wide. He had forgotten how nice it felt to have warm dry pants on. For a split second his mind turned over the fact that just a few seconds ago she was in his pants. He wished she were back in them but mentally punched himself for that thought. If that had slipped out of his mouth he would have been on the floor.

Kaoru had on her tight clothes again and felt more at home in them. She slipped on her tee shirt just as kenshin turned around. She smoothed out the wrinkles and looked herself over. She grinned and looked up at Kenshin.

She looked further south and realized that he was missing an item of clothing. She looked around her on the floor and under her feet but didn't see it. She scanned the cave quickly and tightened her fist. Then she felt the cotton fabric pressed in-between her fingers and palm. She held up his shirt looking guiltily stupid and tossed it to him.

She felt somewhat saddened when he slipped the shirt over his muscular abdomen. She preferred his chest showing but that as supposed to be out of her realm of thinking. She mentally forbade herself from thinking things like that and here she was going against her own promise.

She took in an awkward breath and looked from the viciously burning fire to him. She sat down cross-legged, having nothing else to do. Kenshin sat down as well rather close to her. He was facing the fire and keeping his eyes on it like there was no tomorrow. She looked at his harsh stare and tried to imitate it. She felt like she was trying to extinguish the lame with her mind. She laughed a bit but tried to keep concentration.

At the sound of cheerful laughter Kenshin looked over to her. "What are you doing?" He asked entranced by how concentrated she could be.

"Imitating you…do you think if we stare hard enough it will go out?" She asked referring to the fire. He smiled and laughed a bit at himself.

"I don't know, let's find out." He said staring at the blaze like she was. He snuck a few peeks at her gaze entranced by her wicked glare. He couldn't understand how someone could go from laughing and having a good time to such a spitfire.

"Kenshin, you have to look at it for it to work." She said looked up from the fire at him. Kaoru's eyes began to glow an intensely wild golden color drowning out the deep nurturing blue. That look, though unintentionally, could have scared anyone into doing whatever it was she wanted.

The fire seemed to hop into her blue orbs overwhelming them and transforming them into a dark golden with a flash of crimson. As her eyes danced with enjoyment he could practically feel the fear filling his. Though he wasn't afraid of her, he was more afraid of the spirit that seemed to posses her.

The demonic soul seemed to be jumping with joy in her cold eyes. He felt freezing but hot in the same moment on the brink of insanity but the calmest man alive. A cold sweat ran down his back and he tingled all over. Kenshin was overcome by this wild sensation to grab her and kiss her before this crazy spirit emptied from her body.

Another cold breeze swept through the cave and he shivered in his warm clothes. He had seemed to only anger the spirit and make the flames dance higher and more fierce in her eyes. He quickly averted his eyes to the flame staring hard at it trying to figure out how this was happening.

In the few second preceding this strange staring contest with the blaze from hell the very same breeze as before swept through but it was a gale than a breeze. Just as Kenshin stared at the fire it went out. It flickered to the left then right then it was gone. It seemed as if the blaze just blew out.

However, the scary thing was that neither Kenshin nor Kaoru felt this breeze but they could see it grab the flame and squish it out of existence. Both eyes widened in fright as they watched the last of the ashes burn out as well. The fire spot looked like the fire had gone out hours ago.

Kenshin looked over to Kaoru, sitting in the darkness with just a few rays of barely visible sun peeking into greet them. The light was so bad it was as if he were under a blanket in the middle of a moonless night. Kenshin swore that for the first few seconds he could see her golden eyes still gleaming in the dark.

He was so scared that her eyes were permanently like this that he shut his eyes. For the next two seconds Kenshin could only think of one thing. He wanted to kiss her. He knew her eyes must still hold that golden huge and he wanted to kiss her before the spirit left her body for good.

Hell, if it were strong enough to wipe out that fire then him kissing her wouldn't be that strange. So he leaned in towards the area he assumed was her lips. Surprisingly he managed to hit the general region of her mouth and within seconds his lips were gently capturing hers. She leaned into his innocent kiss and pushed it a bit further.

She couldn't tell what had come over her but all at once with the strange event of the fire blowing out she felt alive. She felt open and free and like anything that happened in this overwhelming darkness could be quickly forgotten or accepted. She wanted to open her mouth and mind and let herself go. This new personality of hers was exciting and adventurous and gave her an adrenaline rush. However, her safe closed self didn't want to open herself up to much.

She allowed him to suck the passion out of her until she felt somewhat empty inside. She wished desperately for the fire to be reborn and the light and warmth to fill her up once more. Just as she was feeling vulnerable and flighty again Kenshin's hand found its way to the nape of her neck slightly tilting her head.

She nudged closer to him as the warm spread to her stomach and filled her up. Though she was in a cold damp dark cave she felt warm and cozy sitting next to him. She separated slowly from him resting her forehead on his as she bit her lower lip in worry. She never had high self-esteem and couldn't figure out if she had made him happy or not.

She could almost feel his smile spreading across his skin to hers. She felt a ripple of excitement tingle through her as she opened her eyes and tried her best to make out his expression. No matter how hard she tried to find his figure in the darkness she could not. She rested her head against his shoulder waiting for him to speak. Waiting for an explanation…or a comforting gesture to keep her questioning thoughts to a minimum.

"Your beautiful." He whispered into her hair as the scent of jasmine wafted into his nostrils sending him on an aromatic trip. Her skin tingled with the feeling of his hot breath on her neck. She opened her mouth to say something, to comment to make some sort of vocal remark but all she could do was wrap her arms tighter around his waist.

Kenshin smiled and laughed a bit, his deep chuckle rumbling low through out the cave. Kaoru laughed a bit with him and snuggled in deeper. Kenshin closed his eyes for a bit his hands rubbing along the curves of her body. He wasn't feeling her up or anything he was just casually stroking her thy. In that moment that he was laying in the dark feeling content and happy with Kaoru huddled up in his lap he remembered his job.

He suddenly tensed up and hugged her tight savoring this carefree moment then pulled his arms away and gently placed her into a sitting position.

"Kenshin, what's wrong?" Kaoru asked her voice rising as she reached her hand out to feel were he was. He stood up and groped the air for her hand. He found her hand and pulled her into a standing position and let go. He found the fire and kicked a log, which didn't make any ashes fly up so he assumed he could leave it.

"Kaoru, its time to leave." Kenshin said a bit wearily as he found her hand once more and squeezed it in an action of silence. He didn't want her to say anything and the squeeze and reassuring tug told her that. They walked hand in hand out towards the front of the cave. Once they got to the mouth Kenshin released her hand and they both shielded their eyes from the harsh but very welcomed sun shine.


	13. Cindy, she devil

1

Kaoru looked over to Kenshin in a somewhat saddened way. As he surveyed their surroundings she watched him with depression creeping in and a thorn shoving a little bit deeper into a small crack in her already bruised heart. She wrapped her arms securely around her waist and looked towards the horizon. She noticed the day which she thought would be so long and crappy was coming to an end. If she had known how late it was back in the cave she might have never kissed Kenshin, she would have been glad to run out of the cave and not look back. But now she felt horrible, and the warmth from her stomach had fled as soon as she stepped into the light.

'This is why I never wanted to find anyone...this is why I hate relationships...and I don't even have one with Kenshin.' She thought. She hung her head as she felt like the heavy wet mist was pertinently clinging to her thin form. She couldn't shake this feeling even though the mist had settled and the sun had finally broke through in time to make the dew covered grass shine before it set. Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek trying to keep her mind on the pain of her own teeth gripping her flesh so she wouldn't feel the pain of her heart.

'Why did I even think someone as great as him would like a scrawny girl like me? He obviously doesn't like me or my kissing.' Kaoru thought trying to keep her thoughts to a minimum. She didn't even want to listen to herself anymore. Out of all the people in the whole world god decided to make her the one with the lowest self-esteem. She could beat any girl in picking herself apart. She was worse than teen magazines, fat girls watching beauty pageants, and even the popular girls in high school who stand around developing anorexia.

She stood there standing on the green grass her head cast down in an angrily depressed manner. The sun was glowing brightly as it drooped down to the crust of the earth. Its rays were twisting and turning into magnificent colors lighting the sky like a 4 year olds water color paint set. Kaoru didn't even want to look up to see it set, she already knew what it looked like and she had seen it set with several different men at her side.

Each time it made her feel a different way:

Love

Loyalty

Yearning

Desire

This one was different. She didn't feel any of that, she just wanted it all to go away. She wanted this day to end, the sun to go down, Kenshin to take her home and a large tub of chocolate ice-cream and a friendly visit form Misao. At this point she would even take Megumi. This whole time Kenshin just stood there, occasionally glancing at her.

He felt bad for ruining the moment but he couldn't let her interfere. Every time he looked over at her he saw the disappointment hidden in her eyes. Though he had to look hard he could see it. He could also tell she had felt this way several times before since she hid her emotions buried in a flood of fake boredom. He could see the anger at herself and the regret. But he could also see the longing that he figured she didn't even know she felt.

He wanted so bad to just lift her head to look him in the eyes so he could tell her everything was ok, that he didn't mean to hurt her and that she would be happy and safe again. But he couldn't even do that. He felt his own eyes cast towards the wet ground as he began to shuffle his way towards the road. "Let's go." he said weakly. He could hear her feet kick into walking motion but he knew her eyes stayed fixed upon the ground her head bent away from him and her muscles straining to run away.

He could feel her energy pulling out and away from him as if he were a dead skunk. He now remembered the thoughts that crossed his mind before he had kissed her earlier. He thought that they would walk out the cave with a clear conscience, if anything having already forgotten the kiss. How wrong he was. But Kenshin was still positive his decision was the right one because work mixed with pleasure only equals unemployment.

They walked in uncomfortable silence through the mushy grass. With each step they sank further into the ground but neither seemed to care. She stepped over a few twigs and tried her hardest to find something interesting in the dank field they were trudging through. When nothing sparked her interest she resorted to counting the stars that popped up in the sky. As she watched the sky turn from a light grey color to a dark blue she wondered how long it would take to get home.

Neither of them had cars thanks to Sano and Megumi, and she wasn't quite sure were she was. The events of the day all filtered down to this disappointing moment of utter confusion and resentment. The twinkling stars began to poke themselves through the thick blanket of midnight blue that covered this section of the sphere. Surprisingly this busied her mind for a while until the peaceful silence of the field was broken by a rumbling. She knew it was only thunder and that it wouldn't rain again. The sky had rained itself out and nothing was left up in that beautiful blue but air.

She knew it was just empty sound. The voice of a heart crying out for love but never getting it wish, always having to wait for it to come up to the heavens. "There's Orion." Kaoru stated flatly even though she was highly interested in it. She loved that constellation. Ever since she could memorize the shape of the hunting man she loved to point him out of a clear night like this. She didn't really mean to let that sentence slip, it was more of a habit. She told anyone in hearing distance were it was at night time.

Kenshin nodded searching the sky for what she was talking about. Kaoru didn't point it out she just told him she saw it. Kenshin spotted the big dipper and told her so. For a few minutes they pointed out the few constellations that always stuck into their minds until they ran out of groups of stars. A lapse of silence fell before Kaorus mouth began to move again. She wasn't paying attention to what she said anymore because she didn't want to feel anything. She wanted to be numb all over. She would rather never feel anything again than have to deal with this feeling of self hate and regret one more time.

But for the heck of it she seized control of her body and thoughts once more to process what had just come out of her mouth and what was still spewing profusely from her lips. "Kenshin," She heard herself say. "Why did you stop? Is there something wrong with me? I mean, I was fine with it for once, and I wouldn't have cared if we sat there for the rest of the week. I haven't felt this way in a long time and I never thought I would...maybe you just don't want this." She said trailing off into a small whisper.

She could feel tears knocking at the back of her eyes and she couldn't take this feeling much longer. She felt strain, like her heart was going to explode leaving her dying form in the hands of Kenshin. She wanted to bolt, and it took great strength to keep her legs at the slow rate they were going. She forced herself to continue to walk next to the man who was hurting her. It felt like time had stopped to her for the longest time until Kenshin finally broke the trance she seemed to be in.

"Kaoru, I cant. I work for the Mafia and I am hired to protect you from a crazy man who would kill anyone to get what he wants. I've already gotten to close to you, if I got any further I...I just, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you." He said stopping her by seizing her by the shoulders. He squeezed them a bit to hard but Kaoru could bear through it to hear his reasoning. Maybe, just maybe he might pound enough sense into her mind to keep her from going crazy.

"I need you to stop seducing me." Kenshin said trying his hand at humor but finding this to be a very not funny environment. "I can't do my job and have a lover at the same time. Working in the Mafia only allows one night stands, or other mafia related people. I couldn't just take you away from your job and friends, rip out from your life so I could keep you in hiding for the rest of it. It cant be done. Besides," Kenshin said wrapping one hand around the bottom of her chin and lifted her head so her eyes met his.

"The world needs to see your pretty face." Kenshin said releasing a wisp of emotion into his calm eyes. It was like a flash of his inner workings that only Kaoru could see. She saw chaos, worry, regret, need, lust, depression, and anger wrapped into one glance. It was like he allowed her to taste his feelings for a split second then returned to his normal state. Though the pain washed over her body like the waves of the ocean she could tell he had been feeling the same.

In that one glace he said more than she needed to know. Kenshin released her and began to walk again. Kaoru wasn't ready to walk, she didn't think she could do anything at this moment. Her legs felt like spaghetti, to thin and brittle to walk on even when uncooked. Her whole being was shaking on the inside. She wasn't cold, but a icy shiver crawled up her spine leaving her frame work a shaking mess.

She made her legs move, even though she had to rip her feet from the squishy floor every step. She remained several steps behind him, supervising her feet so they didn't stop. They walked silently until they reached the highway. "There you are. We've been waiting for a long time." Sano said.

Him and Megumi were sitting in Kenshins car smiling at them. "I didn't know you could go that long." Megumi said. After a few seconds Kaoru realized what she had meant and her face reddened.

"It was nothing like that." Kenshin said lying through his teeth. All four of them could tell Kenshin had tried something but they remained silent, only some giggling from megumi and a smirk from Sano. Kaoru felt disgusted and dirty. She felt the need to take a shower...now. She walked towards a second car that was empty, resting next to Sano's. She jumped into it and turned the ignition.

"Get in the car Kenshin." Kaoru said in a quiet forceful tone. Kenshin decided to stay on her good side compared to Sano and Megumi at the moment. He walked briskly towards the car she was in aware of the couple watching his every move.

"I know who wears the pants in this relationship." Megumi whispered loudly into Sano's ear. Sano laughed and nodded as they both continued to watch Kenshin walk towards the car quicker. Kaoru turned her head quickly and shot Megumi the most venomous glare she had ever given as she spat out;

"Shut up!" Megumi shrunk back into Sanos chest afraid that Kaoru might jump out of the car and attack her. Megumi instinctively enclosed her arms firmly around Sano's waist and his arm snaked around her shoulders. Megumi smuggled her head into his chest and glanced arrogantly at Kaoru her eyes laughing. She knew Kaoru wanted to do the same thing with Kenshin but told herself she didn't. Kaoru has been in denial for years.

Kaoru couldn't help but release a nauseated look towards the couple. As Kenshin slid in next to her she stepped hard on the gas petal before he could even shut the door. The engine throbbed and pushed the wheels forward. The car lurched into action and rolled quickly away form the spot. Soon they were bumping down the deserted road with corn fields on either side. The wind whipped at her face harshly.

Her hair blew around her face and lightly smacked Kenshin. The radio thumped in the background but all she could hear was the wind colliding with her ear. She quickly put on a pair of black plain sunglasses so she could keep her eyes open. The wind was hitting her so hard she was having trouble breathing but she loved it. Though she was angry and severely hurt she couldn't help but love the feeling of the top down.

It always reminded her of motor cycles which always tended to lead to her remembrance of Enishi. Though it only reminded her of good times, for once in her life she remembered something pleasant, a memory she would like to visit.

It was a while ago, she couldn't quite remember when but the memory was vivid. They were riding along on a road through a forest. The wind ran through her hair that was partly tucked under her black helmet. She gripped tightly to Enishi smelling his masculine cologne. She could see her smiling face in his shining helmet.

She felt as if she could fly, as if at any moment she would lift into the sky and take off like superman. The only thing that seemed to be keeping her on the ground was her arms gripped tightly around Enishi's waist. The air encircled her entire body outlining her curves blowing through her. The bike slowed down and they came to a stop despite her groaning. As she dismounted the bike she turned around to find a beautiful clear blue waterfall.

They spent that night staring up at the stars on a rock near the falls as light specks of water slowly soaked their clothes. That was the night Enishi told her he loved her for the first time. Often that particular memory plagued her dreams on lonely nights. Many times she had woken up from that delightful dream to her lonely world of quiet bachelorette life.

She always ended up making a late night visits to Sano for advise.

"Kaoru...KAORU!" Kenshin yelled looked frantically form her to the road.

"WHAT?" Kaoru asked angrily looking at Kenshin.

"Curb" He yelled pointing at the curb they were running over. Kaoru quickly looked up And swerved the car back onto the road. She decided to stay in the present instead of remembering the past while driving. She wasn't sure were she was driving but she didn't want to ask Kenshin for fear of an awkward situation. She stared strait ahead not wanting to even move.

They arrived home shortly and Kaoru ran quickly down to her room in the basement. She closed the door and hoped into the bed face first. She picked up the phone and dialed Misao's number and brought it to her ear. She listened to the phone ring endlessly until finally Misao picked up.

"Hello?" Misao called from the other line but all the noise she received was the sound of muffled sniffles.

"Kaoru what happened? KAORU! Its so nice to talk to you even if you are crying. Were are you? Im coming over." Misao asked.

"Im at Kenshins..." Kaoru said slowly through the bed. Misao didn't even have to ask and before Kaoru knew it she could hear her car pulling up.

"Damn" Kaoru yelled and ran through the same back door she had found in her closet and through the garage. She opened the garage door just in time to find Misao walking up to ring the door bell.

"Pssssst! Misao! Over here. Kenshin can't know you're here." Kaoru said in a loud whisper. When she got her attention she waved for her to come into the garage and she led Misao through the same corridor. Kaoru walked her through the closet and closed the door. She hoped onto the bed once more to hide her hideously red puffy face.

"Misao..." Kaoru cried out in agony. "Why is he doing this?" She asked rolling her head to the side to look at Misao who was examining her room. She was looking at it in a whimsical kind of way and was walking around touching everything.

"Misao! Your such a little kid." Kaoru scolded in a half hearted way. She laughed at her best friend who just blushed as she turned around to look at Kaoru. She walked towards her and put her hand on her head as she sat down on the floor so she was eye level with Kaoru.

"Kaoru, you need to let it all out. Cry as much as you want and once your done I want you to tell me what happened." Misao said in a motherly, I-am-right kind of way. Kaoru smiled as clear tears began to roll down her face once more. Through her smile you could see the agony, the hurt tearing away at her.

"I just...and he, we could have just. Why are men so selfish?" Kaoru yelled as loud as she could with out brining any attention from Kenshin. Misao only nodded and motioned for Kaoru to continue. Her mouth felt sticky and her nose wouldn't stop running.

Misao brought her some tissues and she blew her nose several times before she was satisfied. Her face was burning and her breath was staggered and uneven. She curled up brining her feet towards her head in a ball shape. She took a very deep breath and released it trying to control her tears which wouldn't stop falling. The bed beneath her head was beginning to become increasingly wet and uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess I should start at the beginning..." Kaoru said as she took another breath for emphasis. She began the story beginning to end. Once she was finished she lay there on her back staring at the ceiling feeling better that someone else knew but feeling worse by reliving the moment.

"Kaoru you got yourself in deep with this one." Misao said preparing to help her with her situation. "Well, I know you need some ice-cream." Misao said smiling. Kaoru matched her smile and stood up reluctantly. She began to walk out of the room but turned around quickly.

"You cant come with, don't make any noise, Kenshin has excellent hearing. Don't touch anything or break anything or try on any of my clothes. Don't steal anything or do anything I would do. Got that?" Kaoru asked her pointing her finger at her sternly like she always used to. Even when in a situation of this importance she could still ruin Misao's fun. Misao nodded solemnly as Kaoru left for ice-cream.

When she returned she had two canisters of rocky road ice-cream that she had to use her most sneakiest of sneaky skills to get. She tossed one to Misao who was sitting quietly on the end of the bed with her hands folded in innocence. "You touched something..." Kaoru said as Misao caught it.

"Well, it looked so shiny and I couldn't resist." Misao said pulling out a small box from under the bed. Kaoru picked it up and opened it. She was surprised to find the most stunning emerald plastered on a golden band. She had seen this ring before somewhere. But she couldn't tell were.

"Misao...this is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on." Kaoru said in such a hushed honest voice that Misao jumped up happily.

"Really? So you aren't mad?" Misao asked and Kaoru looked up.

"No." She whispered. "But I want to know were you found it." Kaoru said looking around. "I've never seen it before...I mean I have but not in this room, but I don't know were I've seen it before. Im not making any sense." Kaoru said quickly. Misao pointed to the bottom drawer of a large cabinet. Kaoru had never even been through it, she figured it was Kenshins stuff so she shouldn't touch it.

Of course now is as good a time than ever to raid his things. Isn't it nice how your conscience seems to disappear when your mad at someone? Kaoru watched as Misao opened up the drawer with no regrets and began to search carefully through it. Kaoru looked back down at the jewel finding it to change in color texture and overall appearance every time she looked at it. It was absolutely magnificent.

Kaoru rubbed the plush velvet inside of the box as she stared lovingly at the ring. Surprisingly the cloth moved in and out as if the back of it were removable. Kaoru looked at the rim of the box and found that it had two compartments. She lifted the top away and found the other space to hold a small piece of paper. There was hand writing on it. Kaoru could hear Misao talking but this was so interesting she couldn't help but ignore her. The writing said as follows:

_My dearest Tomoe,_

_I love you more than words can express._

_I hope this token of my love deems me worthy to be your husband._

_Forever and always,_

_Kenshin_

Kaorus heart stopped, her blood froze in her veins and her brain went numb. All at once her world stopped everything was frozen and all she could feel was the growing pulse of pain arising in every inch of her being.

'Kenshin was...engaged?' Kaoru's brain whispered to her. And with that her mind flooded with thoughts and questions and everything was thrown into fast forward to make up for the lost moment. Her blood began to rush through her veins so quickly she thought she would burst from the pressure and her heart beat so quickly she felt like she was on drugs.

Misao was talking so fast and Kaorus body was feeling so weak that the only thing she felt she could do to escape this horrible feeling surging through her was to succumb to the darkness.

Kaorus eyes slowly fluttered open to see white surrounding her. She opened her eyes wide as she looked around quickly whipping her head from left to right. She rapidly brought her hand to her aching head as the pain caught up with her now wake form. Her vision seemed to still be shaking even after her head stopped and the bright florescent lights blinded her.

She could smell the cleanliness and see that just about everything in the room was white. Her mouth still tasted like she had been crying so she knew she couldn't have been out for to long. Her eyes began to focus more as the fuzzy shapes were now becoming more distinguished. She could now tell she was in a hospital bed. She looked down at her hand and slowly turned her head away as she saw an IV placed under her skin into her vein.

Though it didn't hurt she had such a phobia of needles that her mind imagined the pain and the feeling of the foreign object under her skin. She searched her now clear room to find everything was the same as the last time she had been to the hospital. There was her bed she was lying in, and a small round table with a lamp in the corner. A window, and a few chairs spread across the room, all facing her bed with Misao, Kenshin, Sano, Megumi, Aoshi, and Soujiro sprawled out on them.

Kaoru was touched to see all six of her best friends lying asleep in the uncomfortable chairs of the hospital. Neither of them moved but all of them were breathing heavily in a deep sleep. She wanted desperately to run from this hospital, to jump out the window and feel the surge of adrenaline rush through her as she jolted out of this bed. However, running free from the hospital would involve taking the painful IV out of her skin by herself and for this brain numbing headache to fade away. So all Kaoru could do was sit there silently in her bed and wait for a nurse or someone to tell her what to do.

She sat in the bed for quite some time before One of her friends groggily awoke from their deep yet shallow slumber. Her bright sea green eyes lifted from the ground to Kaoru then she closed her eyes once more. Kaoru could see the lines of worry slowly fade as the signs of recognition began to etch into her face as she opened her yes once more. She peered at Kaoru as if she were an alien then jumped out of her seat now fully animated.

She was so happy she couldn't speak, she just kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Misao's bright green eyes shined with joy as she gazed upon her drugged up injured friend. "Kaoru You're a-" Misao began before Kaoru held up one of her hands in silence as she pointed around the room. Misao looked around and shrugged as she walked brickly over to were Kaoru was sitting.

Misao kneeled on the floor next to her, her head were Kaoru's hand was. "Your awake, your awake!" Misao whispered happily and energetically. You could have never guessed this girl had just been asleep.

"Misao I know your excited for whatever reason, But I need you to keep it down. I want to know everything that has happened before anyone else wakes up. I don't want to be lied to because I know you'll tell me the truth but everyone else will sugar coat the truth. Tell me what happened." Kaoru demanded in a small but forceful voice. Misao's bouncy attitude suddenly turned somber with this heavy load and she closed her eyes in accepting.

"Well, you passed out after you read that note..." Misao said trailing off a bit to give Kaoru time to remember. The memory of before her black out came back and her eyes filled with salty tears that stung her eyes. Kaoru nodded and Misao continued.

"I head you drop so I looked up and saw you had hit your head on the side of the bed and...well lets say you got the carpet bloody." Misao said wincing at the remembrance of her best friends blood staining the carpet. Kaoru brought her hand o her head in comparison and nodded for her to continue once more.

"So I quickly ran to you and looked to see your cut was pretty bad. I quickly pried the jewelry bow and its contents from your hands quickly read the note to see if it had caused your black out. I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't respond. So I quickly hid the jewel and ran upstairs to find Kenshin. I told him to call 911 and I went back down stairs to make sure you were ok. I took a towel and wrapped your head and applied pressure to make sure the bleeding wouldn't be that bad."

"The paramedics came and I had to ride in the car with Kenshin and it was tough especially knowing he was the man who gave you so much trouble and he was the real reason you passed out. So I told him that you tripped and hit your head and wouldn't respond. The doctors said you were fine but there was a chance you might have memory loss or might not wake up for a while." Misao said the last sentence sounding very solemn. Misao was really upset.

"How long was I out?" Kaoru asked quickly.

"Not long. Only a few hours." Misao said wearily. She looked behind her at all of the people closest to her and Kaoru. "Every one came. As soon as I called one of them they all were here." Misao said smiling. She turned back around and smiled at Kaoru then hugged her lightly.

"I know you don't want anyone, and I know it would be easier for you if you could just rest for a while. But the nurse insisted that she be called as soon as you woke up. How long have you been awake?" Misao asked in her same friendly tone but it had an added push to it, a certain strictness.

"Only about twenty minuets." Kaoru said lying. She had been awake for about a half an hour but she didn't want Misao to feel guilty. Misao smiled and pressed a round green button on the wall next to Kaoru's bed. It was labeled 'Nurse' and one came it shortly.

She was a tall woman with naturally blonde hair and green eyes. She had on the white nurses outfit and had a name tag that read Cindy. Kaoru could see a weariness and determination about this woman. She seemed nice but appearances could be deceiving. She walked in smoothly and looked at Kaoru.

"How long has she been awake?" Cindy said in a lower toned voice that didn't seem to match her looks. Cindy asked Misao as if Kaoru was just an animal that couldn't speak for herself.

"Twenty minutes." Misao said in a loud but hushed manner so the others wouldn't wake up. Kaoru looked at Misao as if Cindy were crazy when she walked around to check on the machines. Misao just shrugged and watched the woman.

"How does she feel?" Cindy asked Misao loudly with out even looking at her but monitoring the machines. Kaoru coughed a bit and stared harshly at Cindy who just turned her head quickly her long strait blonde hair whipping around her head to glare at Kaoru then looked at Misao waiting for an answer.

"Ask Her." Misao said quietly half sounding like she didn't like were this was going and half trying to hint to Cindy to shut her loud yapper because her friends were asleep too. Cindy ignored this and looked at Kaoru who tried her best to keep a scowl off her face.

"How are you feeling?" She asked in a forced manner.

"My IV is killing me and my head hurts bad." Kaoru said the pain causing her speech to be insufficient. She couldn't think of a better adjective than bad and she honestly didn't care. Cindy seemed to laugh shortly at her then coughed quietly and continued to write on her purple clip board.

"Honey, your IV can't hurt, its not attached to your body." Cindy said emphasizing the word not. Kaoru hated being called honey by anyone but her father and her head hurt way to much to be dealing with witches like this.

"Listen. Im a patient, you're the nurse. My head hurts, you have the drugs to make it feel better. Your being a bitch and im trying my hardest not to get upset but this head ache and this lack of drugs is making me irritable. Now give me some god damned drugs or get out of my face hon" Kaoru spat a little louder than she meant to adding hon at the end just to add insult to injury.

Cindy looked like she was about to fight back her eyes matching the fierceness of Kaorus but Kaorus's doctor walked in and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Cindy maybe you should go help with old man Jenkins down the hall." He said in a sultry deep voice with a thick British accent.

His tall and statue like figure stood in the door way so Kaorus could measure that he was a tall man. He had rugged good looks and brown hair with dark blue eyes that held a light feeling to them. His face was square and he looked as if he hadn't shaven in a couple of days giving him stubble. His hair was short and spiky and he looked to be a very fit man. He walked into her room and both Kaorus and Misao froze. He wiped the icy stare right off of Kaorus's face and kept her staring at him for far too long.


	14. Hearts Desire

1

Hearts Desire

Her heart began to beat wildly in her rib cage threatening to break a few ribs if she didn't calm down. Her blood pressure shot through the roof and the machines next to her began to beep loudly and quickly. The wide friendly smile that was placed upon his pink full lips slid off into nothingness as he turned to monitor her machines. His brow furrowed in concentration as he watched the confusing signs then laughed lightly and the gorgeous smile danced back onto his lips.

"Try not to get to excited, it affects the machines." He said calmly writing some things down on a clip board. Kaoru smiled sedating her heart but still falling in love with this man. His deep sensual voice wouldn't leave her thoughts as she watched his every move. She nodded absentmindedly as she finally looked over at Misao who was memorized by the doctor as well. Kaoru heard some stirring and figured the loud fighting with Cindy and the interruption of the doctor must have woken her friends up.

She focused back on the doctor seeing him looking her over for any changes but she blushed lightly anyway. "You took quite a fall Kaoru." He said referring to her bandaged head. She blushed deeper.

"Yea. Will I be ok? Can I go home with you?" She asked letting the words come out of her mouth normally without thinking. She gasped slightly when she realized what had come out of her mouth and wished she had hit her head harder so she would never wake up.

"What?" He asked his voice a few shades higher in tone. He laughed a bit as he said it and looked up at her his eyes twinkling. From somewhere in the background, or maybe just in her imagination Kaoru heard someone cough lightly in surprise. She dismissed it assuming it was Megumi or Misao.

"I said can I go home today?" Kaoru asked as she heard Misao's suppressed giggles. He just looked surprised for a few more seconds then smiled deciding he would let that slide.

"Yes, but your injury may require a few house calls." He said winking playfully at her. He smiled widely to make sure she understood it was only a joke, poking fun at her in a somewhat honest way. She blushed lightly and laughed.

"Of course." She said slowly playing along. "You're the doctor, you do know what's best." She added a smile spreading permanently across her face. To the blind eye it would seem like a normal conversation between a patient and a doctor and it was intended to seem that way, but to those paying any attention at all, such as Misao, it was major flirting.

Kaoru knew she was leading him on into a potential relationship that would never work. Not only did she not live in her own home but she wasn't in the position to have a man. Even if she seemed to put up the appearance of being single and wanting more but really on the inside she was loving single life. At least, that's what she made herself think, but since Kenshin came along he was warming her frozen heart. However...don't tell Kaoru that, she's in denial.

(Wow...let's stop being in third person) "But seriously Kaoru, I will be making contact with you...to make sure everything is functioning correctly and you have all your memories." He said pausing for a bit still joking but attempting sincerity. Kaoru smiled and nodded.

"Yea, I'll be looking forward to it." She said a hint of seduction in her voice and she heard the cough once more but a little louder and more like a surprised fake cough. She smiled and the doctor looked up at the interruption and then looked back at her and grinned wildly.

"Well, I must be off to help Cindy. Im sorry about her, she's an intern." He said nodding slightly as if to acknowledge it himself. It was almost as if he was reminding himself. Kaoru laughed harshly at the memory feeling the anger spark up within her. He held his hand up in a wave and left the room walking down the hall. Both Kaoru and Misao leaned on her bed watching him walk down the hallway.

"You can stop drooling." Came a haughty female voice. It was sharp and pierced through the dense haze of love in the air like a guillotine. And just like that Kaoru was throne out of her dazed fantasy world and she snapped her head around but not without bringing her hand up in attempt to ease the pain of moving so fast.

Megumi was sitting up in her chair her arm crossed staring a hole into Kaoru. "Hey...your up." Kaoru said quietly in a guilty tone. Megumi nodded her lips rising in an furious smile. Her whole image was like a beacon of all excellently aggravated friends.

"Kaoru, I can't believe you" Megumi screeched in more of a hushed scolding voice. Kaoru seemed to crawl into a shell awaiting the blow so she could try to manipulate her words to make it seem like she was right.

"You didn't even introduce me" Megumi said unfolding her arms and her tense body relaxing and jumping up and gliding over to sit next to Kaoru and Misao. All three broke out into a fit of giggles and quickly crossed their legs and sighed in unison.

"I can't believe he picked you. I tried to flirt with him when he was telling us you were OK." Megumi said slowly and somewhat resentfully. Kaoru was a bit shocked.

"What a period of mourning." She said quietly.

"I flirt when I mourn. I was so devastated I had to throw myself on the first hot thing I saw." Megumi said smiling widely.

"What about...your boy friend?" Misao whispered looking over at Sano.

"He was to distracted worrying about you." Megumi said pointing to Kaoru. Kaoru gulped hoping not to get another 'if I wasn't going out with Sano he would be all over you' speeches. Periodically Sano would do something nice for Kaoru that he would never do for Megumi because he is stupid and Kaoru would get a speech to stay away from him and that if Megumi saw Kaoru even give him ONE seductive glance she would break up with him so fast and Kaoru would be left with two sobbing best friends.

"Oh my gosh he was hot." Misao said swooning all over again just thinking about him. But she was partly just trying to get Megumi back onto subject. Kaoru sighed once more the throbbing pain had gone away just thinking of him.

"Do you think he was serious?" Kaoru asked without having to explain what she meant.

"I hope not. You don't exactly have a place of your own." Misao said looking sternly at Kaoru. "I know you like him but you have much bigger issues to deal with." Misao said her attitude much calmer and almost scarily solemn. Kaoru looked at the floor her heart rate slowing to normal and the magic dissipating.

"Misao your such a wet blanket." Megumi said trying to cheer Kaoru up.

"No, she's right." Kaoru said reassuringly with a smile. A nurse walked into her room and smiled this fake cheesy smile towards Kaoru.

"You can go home now. All of you." She said bringing her eyes up to the rest of the room. Kaoru turned her head slowly to see the rest of the room alive and alert. It was kind of shocking to see them moving and stretching their limbs when only a few minutes ago they seemed to be dead to her. Kaoru sat up fully her head still throbbing but medication had been pumped in her IV. Speaking of an IV, she looked down to her hand to see the nurse pulling the tape off of her skin and extracting the painful IV. Kaoru winced a bit and looked up at the kind old woman. She grinned at her while she placed a band-aid on top of her bleeding puncture wound.

The guys who had been silently ease dropping walked past her in a single file line smiling and, in their own way, saying farewell to her. Sano used a large wave and a huge grin, Aoshi nodded, Soujiro already was smiling and he replied later, and Kenshin awkwardly smiled and said good bye. They all left the room and Megumi and Misao stepped off her bed and waved happily.

Kaoru watched them all leave and sighed as she waited to leave herself. The Nurse smiled at her as if she knew every detail of Kaoru's life.

"He's your boyfriend?" She asked nodding to Kenshin standing outside the closed door. Kaoru blushed a bit half from embarrassment and half from anger.

"NO" She said loudly startling the nurse.

"Well, just- the way your eyes lingered on him and how his good-bye seemed to be hesitant like he really didn't want to leave." She said trying to explain her accusation.

"He's my bodyguard." Kaoru said quickly her eyes shooting up to the woman's kind but worn out ones.

"That's all?" She said a mystery lingering in her voice that seemed to hang in the air. Kaoru nodded trying to get the woman to just go back to her work. "I can tell this is difficult for you. Keep your head wrapped up for the rest of today and put on a bandage tomorrow, keep it covered and be careful for the next couple of weeks. Your friends left you some clothes over on that table." She said walking to said table and fetching the clothes and throwing them on Kaoru's lap.

"Put those on, and you should be good to go. Here's a prescription for painkillers that you should take when you feel intense pain. Just give this to your nearest pharmacist and you should be good to go. Check yourself out at the front desk and come back in a week or so for a check up." She said in a very cheery tone. She smiled feeling like she had helped another patient and she let the room quickly after she pointed the bathroom out for Kaoru.

Kaoru stood up and felt the blood rush to her head and was forced to quickly sit down her body beginning to tingle and her vision turning green. She stood up slower and felt a bit wobbly on her feet but was soon back to normal. She grabbed her clothes and quickly changed in the bathroom.

She walked out of the room greeted by the smiling faces of her friends. She checked herself out and they all jumped into their separate cars. Kenshin and Kaorus ride home was very quiet.

"How's your head?" He asked and Kaoru quickly responded with a fine.

"Mind telling me what happened? Your friends would budge." Kenshin said slowly hoping it wasn't something bad.

"I saw something I shouldn't have," She said quietly.

"What?" Kenshin asked his voice filling with strained dread.

"Just...something I never expected to find. Its really noting you need to concern yourself with." She said harshly. "I just took a rough fall." She said repeating the doctors words ans smiling in remembrance.

"If it had to do with my im sorr-" He began.

"Shut up Kenshin. You don't care, you just..."She trailed off, "don't care." She finished quietly.

"You found the ring..." He said slowly her head snapping up the tears threatening to fall suddenly held themselves back so she could see his expression clearly.

"I was worried you would just by being in that room but I never thought this was going to bloom like this." He said shaking his head at his own amazement. He kept his eyes on the road.

"And what did you think I would say? If you knew I would find it why the hell did you lead me on?" She said her voice wavering and slowly rising in pitch and volume.

"Kaoru, I didn't lead you on. She-" Kenshin cut off feeling tears of his own threatening to fall. However he wasn't going to cry, he was a man.

"What Kenshin? She what? Dumped you, said no, is married?" Kaoru asked harshly in an almost scream.

"No she-" Kenshin began but Kaoru interrupted him again.

"I don't think I want to hear it. You always find a way to make something worse...to make me feel horrible." She yelled resting her head on her hand and leaned against the door of the car.

"Kaoru! She's dead" He yelled his voice so loud it squeaked in a low grumble which sounded like crushed ice. Kaoru's blood froze and her angered face quickly switched to sock as her eyes widened. Kenshin stared at her for a wile until he heard a loud horn then looked at the road and swerved back to his side of the road.

He pulled into his drive way and looked at her. "Satisfied?" He asked as he stood up and slammed the door stalking angrily towards his door.

"Kenshin..I didn't know." Kaorus said in a shocked but factual voice. She was defiantly right, he did always make her feel even worse.

"I wanted to keep it from you. I didn't want it to get in the way." He said turning around glaring harshly at her.

"When did you plan on telling me Kenshin? On our wedding night? Oh by the way, I was once engaged but she died...you don't care do you?" Kaorus shouted in a lower voice to act like him.

"NO I didn't want this to happen. I would have told you, when our relationship was more stable if we even made it." He said slowly.

"What are you saying?" She asked laughing in a hysterical tone. "Are you saying it wont work? That there is no use?" She demanded.

"Yes! Because of stuff like this. You go snooping through my things, point fingers at me, make me the bad guy when I wasn't the one rummaging through your things and claiming that you had another lover!" He shouted throwing his arms to the side of him angrily. Kaorus jumped out of the car and walked quickly towards him.

"You had a wedding ring and a love note in a small velvet box to a woman named Tomoe."She spat wildly in a whisper. "What was I supposed to think?" She asked pushing past him into the house.

"Kaoru!" He yelled as he heard her hurried footsteps treading down the stairs. "This is what I was trying to prevent" He said quietly to himself but she was gone.

'Not good...he'll know she got hurt, he will most likely strike tonight. I better get down there.' Kenshin thought as he ran down the stairs.

It was late and Kaorus had already done enough crying and sobbing and being in the hospital. She jumped onto her bed and quickly feel asleep. Kenshin sat outside her door protectively a gun placed in a pocket in his jacket.

4 AM

Kaorus slept peacefully her raven hair pulled out of her pony tail and spread over her large white pillow. She looked like an angel laying on her white bed with her pure worry free porcelain face poised in a natural position. In her sleep she felt the warmth of someone fingertips touch her cheek and make a trail to her chin them it vanished. She snuggled into the hand finding it had gone.

She turned over and fell back into a deep sleep. The hand patted her hair lightly and she turned and pressed her warm silky skin against the soft manly hand. She moaned lightly and smiled beginning to rise out of her slumber. Her large blue eyes fluttered slowly open her vision blurred. She saw that the room was very dark and her eyes were not yet used to so little light. She could see the shadowy outline of a man. She hoped it was Kenshin but she soon found that the red head of hair was absent and replaced by spiky brown hair.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes staring disbelievingly at his fuzzy face. She saw beautiful dark blue eyes, familiar dark blue eyes. Her eyes widened as his figure began to transform into a tall slender man she had seen before.

"I told you I'd see you again." He said calmly in a low sultry voice she recognized from only a few hours ago.

"I didn't think it would be so soon." She said trying to act naive and open-minded incase her hunch was wrong.

"Ill be staying with you for some time. Now if you wouldn't mind coming with me. I want to show you something." He said standing up revealing his thin but muscular form. She shuttered happily in seeing him in a tuxedo instead of a doctors coat.

"Sure!" She said happily. "But, I need to grab a coat." She said but he handed her a furry bunch that she found to be a mink coat. "I need my purse. I know you don't have that stashed away somewhere." She said and they both laughed. She stood up wearing a long button up tee shirt of Kenshins. She acted like she was excited about to go on a date with a hot doctor she didn't know knew her address.

So she pulled on a pair of jeans quickly and ran out her door closing it tenderly to look as if she was being quiet. She quickly turned the corner ready to fly up the stairs when her arm got caught on something. She turned around quickly and gasped loudly.

"Kenshin! You scared me." She said in a pushed whisper. His face was stern and his grip firm.

"Were are you going?" He asked his eyes shining gold through the darkness. It was a bit creepy like a horror movie come to life, but Kaorus stayed brave and stood strait.

"I was looking for you." She whispered glancing at her door and keeping her voice a low mummer. He gave her a puzzled look and let go of her arm. "My doctor is in my room. I...don't know how he got in with you outside my door..." She said the last part bringing fear to the surface of her words.

"Kaoru...I want you to get whatever you told him you were getting. Go with him, I'll trail you, don't be scared." He said slowly reassuring her that he would keep her safe. It seemed like for this moment neither of them were scared or angry any longer. Kaorus grabbed her purse off of a small table near her door and turned to look at his smiling face one more time.

'Don't let me die...' Kaorus thought sadly as she turned quickly and opened the door slowly to find there were two more men tall and clad in black. She smiled kindly to the doctor pulling of the child like innocents of a girl who has a crush on a hot doctor.

"Ready?" He asked her his beautiful smile spreading across his face. She nodded and melted for just a moment allowing herself to let go just this once then she snapped back.

_She had to stay alert._

_She had to stay calm._

_But most of all..._

_She had to trust._

A/N: Hey! So how did you like it? I was getting sick of just fighting and making up and actually explaining things, I might be more vague, maybe not though. I just wanted the plot to go somewhere and I think im losing a lot of my reviewers. I seem to only get a few each chapter and yes, that builds up but it is still depressing to just see a few reviews when I take my time to write this thing. So since I get so few reviews ill be giving thanks to all those worthy of my praise.

I love you:

**Kean**- Chyeah...sorry about the chapter re-post, I didn't think it came up so I posted it again to find now I had one to many. .;

**Seishun Gakuen**- Yup, I realized I posted chapter 12 again, im sorry I got mixed up.

**AOD**- Im sorry I vanquished your hopes of a new update but I am working on it!

**LazyHop**- Ha. Yea, I know it's a repeat and I really appreciate you reading my story, sorry.

**Lady Dark Angel**- No, the doctor isn't Enishi, he has white hair and green eyes, the doctor is hotter. Of course there are some secrets about the doctor I cant reveal at this point in time but you'll understand soon. Yea, And the ring thing is explained here too, thanks for the review!

**Joann**- Thanks, its nice to know people like my story!

**Erica6060**- Yea I wanted Cindy to be very rude, I don't know exactly why I put her in the story at all, maybe ill think of a good way for her to come back later on...thanks for the review.

That's all folks! I guess I do get reviews they just all tell me how stupid I am for re-posting, so once again for the final time, IM SORRY! You may flog me at will...


	15. the date

Chapter 14

She walked with the doctor out her secret door in her closet and decided not to ask how he knew it was there. She continued to walk with him and climbed into his long black limousine. She sat onto the soft leathery material covering the seats. There was gentle music playing lightly in the background. She sat in-between the two men wearing sunglasses even though it was night. Her doctor was sitting across from her his legs crossed, his hands folded neatly on top of his knees.

"So," She paused for dramatic effect. "You never told me your name." She said trying to look shy by casting her eyes towards the ground. He chuckled a bit sounding more musical than anything.

"Sean, but my friends call me Kessler." He said smiling wickedly. Kaoru gasped dramatically as if she hadn't seen that coming. She didn't realize it in the hospital but it was all coming together now.

Kaoru knew she had to stay calm and on her toes. Either he was going to be rough or he would be a gentlemen...she was betting on rough...just like the movies. But surprisingly he didn't move towards her, his thugs didn't flinch, nothing. She sat trying to look comfortable in the unbearably silent vehicle.

"Kaoru, are you hungry?" He asked acting suave and nonchalant. He seemed genuinely concerned. He was more of a master mind than she had thought. He was acting like they were just going on a date, like he didn't know she was a billionaire. But they weren't and he did.

"Sure." She said making sure to keep her voice from wavering. She was scared of what he wanted to do but his charm and charisma was just so hard to ignore. And he was really hot. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him and he just sat there his arms stretched out on the top of the seat and his legs crossed staring at her with a smug smirk on his face. He looked at her like he knew something she didn't, like all the information of the world was at his beck and call.

"Good." He said his voice deep and sexy with the just a hint of a rough lusty tone. She smiled her eyes sparkling in a fake but believable way. She couldn't deny that going to a restaurant with such a sexy man was not something she would normally pass up...even if she had a boyfriend, but he was a maniac.

The limo slid to a halt and both doors opened. Kaoru stepped out of one and Sean out the other. He looked at her over the top of the car and smiled. They walked into a very eloquent restaurant, guiding her to an obviously planned booth in the far right corner. She sat down gently and looked around at the lush carpeted floors and shining tile walls.

"This restaurant is far more fancy than I imagined it would be." She said quietly in awe. He just smiled trying to keep in mind she hadn't actually seen any of her own money yet so she wasn't used to this living.

"You know..." He said pausing to show the waiter what they both would be eating for the night in the menu. He paused, dismissing the man, until everyone was out of hearing reach. "The mafia is a bad organization. Such a pretty girl like yourself shouldn't even know about them, let alone work for them. Of course im sure that evil boss of Himura's has forced you into this deal hasn't he?" Sean asked nodding his head to assure himself. Kaoru just blushed a bit and nodded as well just to humor him.

"And speaking of Himura..." He paused for dramatic effect then continued in a almost spiteful voice. "You shouldn't know him either. He's a bad man. He plays dirty in his work and his pleasure. He is only using you for you money and is probably out with another woman, not even bothering to think about your safety and well being." He said his voice becoming threatening at the end.

And just like Kaoru, low self-esteem over took her mind and thoughts and forced her to think and over analyze the situation.

'_I knew Kenshin hated me!'_

'_He was playing with me all along!'_

'_Why did I fall for it? I always fall for it!'_

'_I'm so stupid, how could I ever think Kenshin loved a stupid ugly lawn gnome like me?'_

'_Ha, lawn gnome...'_

'_FOCUS!'_

'_God damn that ADD , I should have said yes to adult riddlin...' _

Kaoru was lost in a wonderland of thoughts she couldn't focus on anything but the intricate white table in front of her. There were small animals carved into it to make a peaceful scene that she hoped would calm her raging mind. All this time Sean was talking, that is until he realized she was not listening, then he just stared at her.

He didn't want to admit it but she was stunningly beautiful. He never mixed work with pleasure and knew it only fucked you over no matter how in love you could be, but she was a genuine beauty. Her soft black hair that shined like the glowing wings of a raven, her dazzling deep blue azure eyes that concentrated hard on the table below her. Her pale skin that seemed to be endlessly glowing with the radiance of moon light.He was drawn to her by her money but he thought he should stay for the looks. Maybe he could make a compromise with her.

'_Alright..._

_Step 1: Convince her that the lug head Himura is a playboy who hates commitment and will never fall in love with anyone due to his stubborn attitude towards women...and maybe throw in a fetish for kinky hand cuffs..._

_Step 2: Convince her she is madly in love with my dashing looks and outstanding personality. My hair is done perfectly by my favorite hair stylist every morning and she to could share and bask in the glory that is me, and maybe one day reach the peak of her looks and try to rival mine...oh anyway..:cough cough:_

_Step 3: Convince her to stay with me and quite that awful Mafia business and if she really loved me she would open a shared bank account with me...and due to Step 2, she will have to subdue to my aforementioned good looks and rocking personality._

_Step 4: Profit!'_

So while Kaoru was beating herself up for falling for Kenshin and thinking he had fallen for her Sean was coming up with a wickedly awesome plan for himself. Soon both of them were so absorbed in their thoughts it seemed there was no end to their silence/deep thought until the waiter returned and served their food.

They both had two steaming, delicious plates of angel hair spaghetti with green, yellow, and red papers along with garlic a small leaf of parsley and a large porta bella mushroom. Kaoru looked at her food her eyes shining with hunger. Since this was her first "date" with Sean she had to act lady like and eat slowly with a fork. He looked up and smiled at her.

She smiled back as she mentally melted into her bowl of spaghetti and felt at home in the mushy stringy wet noodles. His face, his looks, his hair especially were so deliciously orgasmic she just wanted to pounce on him. However, she had to keep in mind he was the bad guy, the guy she shouldn't mess with. He was the guy who wanted her for her money and if anything her mother had told her when she was young was true he was probably a rapist on top of all that.

She shuttered at the thought of this delicious but selfish man violating her personal space and taking advantage of her. But if she could help it with her mad skeelz at self defense :cough cough: he wouldn't even get a kiss good night.

"Kaoru, I think your over analyzing this situation." He said suddenly snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up to him her eye brow arched in confusion. "Oh really?" She asked her lips curling into a smirk.

"Yeah, You are thinking I'm the bad guy, that I'm wrong and want to hurt you. But I don't. You're a very beautiful girl, yes, but I would never want to do anything you could imagine in that little head of yours." He replied. She was surprised beyond belief and even allowed him to witness a shocked expression flash across her normally placid features...at least for tonight.

She was flattered at his compliment and a small blush crept up onto her face as she smiled sheepishly. However, underneath her embarrassment was anger bubbling up. She knew this had to be a tactic but she couldn't decode it just yet. She also wasn't to happy about the little remark as if she was a child.

She allowed all that to go uncommented on and tried to have a good time so either Kenshin could come get her or she could just go home. "Are you keeping me?" She asked quickly between bites just barely glancing up at him.

"You cut right to the chase don't you..." He said surprised but smiled at her as if he thought everything she did was cute. "No...I don't think I will. I think I'll play with Himura...make him sweat." He said laughing at his own clever plan. She could see the wheels turning in his head and knew he had some long elaborate plan formulating that Kenshin could hopefully crack.

"Will I be going home tonight?" She asked hoping he would say yes so she could at least get some sleep to rest up for his next visit so she didn't look like crap like she did now.

"Unless you want to come home with me." He said bluntly. She ignored the sexual reference and declined politely.

"No thank you." She said pushing her plate forwards, motioning that she was finished. He snapped his fingers at the waiter standing by and he whisked their plates away quickly.

Sean stood up offering her his hand and like a lady she took it and stood up. He escorted her to the door and into the limo waiting for them. He whispered into the owner of the restaurant's ear and he looked very pleased as he waved good bye to them. Soon Kaoru saw her familiar neighborhood and the limo stopped right in front of Kenshin's driveway. She stepped out and so did Sean. He took her hand and walked her to the front door and gently planted a kiss on the top of her hand and smiled. His teeth seemed to sparkle with radiance and Kaoru had to hold herself back from jumping on top of him and asking him to take her to his house.

The way he talked so smoothly and the way he looked and acted and was so kind and gentleman like she just wanted to follow him home like a lost puppy searching for love and affection. However, she needed to get to bed and sleep on all of the new information she had. She had a lot to think over and a lot to mentally kick herself for. And she didn't know where she would get the time to talk to Kenshin but she knew she'd manage to fit it in there somewhere.

She stepped inside the door and closed it biting her lip out of joy. Despite her constant fear of rape, assault, or kidnaping he was kind and patient and very enjoyable. And if he wasn't the mobs worst enemy, which was saying a lot, she might go out with him again. She felt a light quick tap on her shoulder and she turned around to see Kenshin. He was standing there his face littered with stubble and his unkept hair. It looked like he tried to get some sleep but was unable to. He had bags under his crazed eyes that were glazed over with fatigue.

He was standing there in only his boxers due to the strangely hot house and the fact that that's what he slept in. His hair was not in a pony tail and Kaoru had the urge to run her hands through it but restrained herself. He actually had that sexy unkept artist type of look to him but worry seemed to have racked his brain the whole time.

Her eyes softened apologetically and a quiet 'awe' escaped her lips as she set her hand on his shoulder. "Kenshin...you need some sleep." She said turning him around and guiding him up the white staircase and into his squishy bed. She laid him down and pulled a sheet over his shivering body. She placed her hand on his forehead and it felt very warm.

"Kenshin." She said softly to him. "Kenshin!" She said in a louder voice when he didn't answer. He opened his eyes and smiled lazily up at her. "Kenshin, you have a fever." Kaoru said as if talking to a child. He nodded his head as if that would make the information sink into his brain.

"I'll be right back ok? Don't move." She said knowing he would either nod off to sleep or watch as the room began to spin from the fever. She walked down the stairs quickly and into the kitchen where she began to prepare some things to keep his temperature down.

Kenshin sat in his bed staring hard at the potentially interesting wall. He had never seen a white so bright before. Wait, now it was dull...wait...it was white...now it's yellow...with purple polka spots...and now it's a field. There are a lot of flowers...but its going to rain. It's raining now. He could feel the wet rain drops splashing on his forehead and running down the side of his face but on the inside he was freezing his body shaking. Suddenly a loud thunder clashed in the storm that was once his wall and a beautiful goddess was walking towards him with raven colored hair and blue eyes.

He smiled up at her and she reached over to his head looking concerned. She placed something cold and wet on his forehead and suddenly his image of a rainy day at a green meadow crashed and broke into the drab reality of his white room with Kaoru hovering over him.

She had placed a cold wet cloth on his forehead and was worried about his health. "Kaoru." She heard him croak out. She rushed to his side quickly and grabbed his shoulders as he tried to sit up. He managed to slump over but was sitting up holding his head.

"Yes?" She asked quickly her face plagued with worry. All of the thoughts and suspicions of that night had vanished and all she could think about was him...the last person she wanted to be thinking about.

"I'm not sick. So stop treating me like I am." He said managing to look up at her and placed her wet cloth back in her hand. She laughed a bit and brushed his bangs from his eyes looking at him in a motherly way.

"You have a fever and I think you've had one for a while." She said placing her hand on his forehead. "I won't let you get up until it breaks." She said pushing lightly on his shoulders. He resisted for a minute but he was to weak to persist in his resistance for long and soon found himself laying on the bed the cloth on his head again.

Kaoru stood up about to walk to the chair in the corner of his room but she felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked down at what snagged her and found it was his hand clenched around the fabric. "Don't leave." He said practically begging. She knew it was the fever but laughed anyway. "I'm just going to that chair over there." She said petting his hair gently. She turned to leave but the fabric was still in his hand.

"Don't leave." He said once more. She could tell she wasn't going to win and she hated saying no to a sick person but she didn't want his illness. She shrugged and figured if she became sick it was another reason for her not to see Sean for another day. She enjoyed his company but he was dangerous.

She sat back down on his bed and his hand fell to his side. She pulled the rest of the covers over him and sat looking at him through the darkness of his room. "Lay down..." She heard him mumble. She didn't actually want to lay down with a sick man but the bed was large and she was tired and really didn't want to argue. She walked to the other side of the bed with more room and laid down her hands folded on her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling waiting to hear his breathing regulate so she could get up and sleep in her own bed. Slowly her eyes began to close and her mind began to wander into the land of dreams.

A/N: Yeaup...totally didn't update for a long time and im really sorry, I wrote 4 pages...so like 2/3 of this in one night. Im really sorry but since it's summer I will be updating and im sure I'll have it finished by the end of the summer since I don't have anything else to do.


	16. his explination

Chapter: 15

Slowly a strong aroma began to attack her nostrils. The smell of coffee filled her nose and caused her hand to reach out towards the direction of the smell before her eyes even opened. She felt the cup come to her and she opened her eyes slightly to see Kenshin smiling down at her. His hair was tied back contrary to last night and he had obviously shaved. He was wearing dark blue jeans that hung off his hips loosely and a button up white shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

In Kaoru's lethargic state he looked like an angel. The bright rays of the sun shone through the window behind him and bounced off his white shirt making him look like he was glowing. She took the cup of coffee staring at him her mouth slightly agape. Soon her fuzzy perception of reality cleared up and she realized what she looked like. She quickly brought the cup to her mouth and took a sip her eyes closing trying to capture the goodness of the coffee's taste.

Soon the coffee hit her system and her half lidded eyes opened fully. She sat up and looked at the clock. She found it was about 6:00.

"Kenshin...why am I awake?" She asked sinking back into his bed. She placed her hand over her eyes trying to make the room dark again. He had pulled the shades off the window making the rising sun very bright.

"Because HE wants you to go in for questioning." Kenshin said throwing a bright yellow sun dress with orange flowers on it at her. The dress landed on her face and she threw it back at him.

"I don't wear dresses that I didn't pick out...I don't wear dresses." She said to him lifting her head and looking at him one eye closed from the dazzling brightness of the sun. Kenshin began to laugh.

"I don't care. You're a woman and my boss likes to see women dressed as they should be." Kenshin said and Kaoru sat up objectively.

"Excuse me? Women can wear whatever they want! I don't have to wear a dress!" She said looking down at it sitting in her lap.

"Listen, HE is an old fashioned type of guy and HE thinks you should wear a dress." He said sitting down at her feet.

"I keep forgetting HE's the mob boss..." She said grabbing the dress and pulling his covers off of her body. "When did you wake up?" She asked him a small yawn escaping her lips.

"An hour ago. We have to be there at 6:45." He said standing up and walking down the stairs to let her change. His memory was plagued with her image. That morning he had woken up to her beautiful face. Her skin was a silky touchable peach. The dim grey of the morning light glowing behind her as he stared into her angelic face.

He walked into the kitchen and continued his cooking. He was making waffles. He had set out everything they needed to eat them and all he had to do was finish making the batter and cook them in the already heating waffle maker.

He continued to mix the batter together and add more items in the recipe when she walked down the white stair case. Her vibrant orange and yellow dress was a colorful change in scenery and accented her curves. She looked at him her hair pulled up in a pony tail a few wisps of bangs lining her face.

"Any other ridiculous items you'd like me to throw on? Am I womanly enough for you?" She asked a light spark of anger in her voice.

"Kaoru, you've always been womanly enough for me...it's my boss." Kenshin said smirking to himself as he looked down at his waffle mix choosing to ignore her shocked facial features.

She was about to shout and yell and correct his wrongs but she choose to ignore his comment. Her face turned red partly in anger and partly in embarrassment and she continued to run down the staircase towards him. She slowed to a walk and trotted over to were he was standing. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist resting her head on his shoulder.

"Watcha' doin'?" She asked into his ear breathing on his neck. He smiled her hot breath sending a tickling sensation through his body as he tried to pay attention to what he was doing.

"Making waffles." He said clearing his throat to keep himself focused.

"Neat." She said moving her head closer to his neck. Her breath danced across his neck and ear as she watched what he was doing. Kenshin was having trouble restraining himself from turning around and making a move but he knew she was messing with his head. She knew what places make a guy squirm so she used it to her advantage.

He knew she was just trying to get him back but he couldn't control himself. He closed his eyes trying to control his emotions feeling like a teenager again. 'She's such a tease.' He thought angered by her cunning ways. Suddenly he was jerked out of his thoughts by a sharp irritation on the skin of his ear. His eyes snapped open and the irritation was classified as a bite.

'She bit my ear! She bit my ear!' his thoughts screamed. "Ah! Hey, Kaoru." Kenshin said moving his head around to get her further from his ear. He was trying to concentrate, he was trying to go to his bosses office with a clear mind for once.

It seemed like ever time he went there his mind was in a dazed fog from some sort of poisoning. Be it women, drugs, alcohol or any other distracting substance. He hated to say no when she was the one who started this but he didn't want to worry and be late and look like he mixed work with pleasure any more.

"What? My femininity isn't your thing?" She asked into his ear sarcastically. Kenshin smiled and despite himself turned around in her arms setting his hands on her shoulders. He looked deep into her eyes with his dark lavender eyes sparkling with cunning excitement.

"Your femininity is defiantly my thing. But, I don't want to get to distracted." He said calmly running the back of his hand down her soft cheek.

"You're right." She said jumping back from him and laughing a bit. Kenshin dropped his hand almost in a disappointed way. She smiled at him and pointed at the waffles as she turned and walked to the table and sat down gingerly. Kenshin reluctantly turned around and poured the waffle mix into the maker and waited for it to finish cooking.

He set the finished waffles down on the table and they ate in silence. Some time during the meal Kaoru felt a light tap on her foot and she looked up at Kenshin who seemed to be enwrapped in his mess of waffles and syrup.

She decided to be difficult and rubbed her foot along his leg smiling coyly and looking up ever so slightly. His head shot up at the contact and stared at her a bit shocked. His shock faded just as quickly as it came and he just smirked at her. "Don't want to give up do you?" He asked standing up and grabbing her plate. He scrapped the food off of it into the garbage then walked to the sink to wash the plate.

She stood up and walked up behind him once more. She wiggled her hands under his arms and helped him wash the plate. She scooped up a chunk of the bubbles that stuck together and brought it up to his face. He moved his head back to avoid confrontation but she ended up squishing it into his face anyway. He laughed at her and turned his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I can only resist you for so long..." He whispered into her cheek softly kissing it then looking back to his dish. Kaoru grinned knowing if she just kept it up a bit longer she could get what she wanted.

"Kaoru, we have to leave." He said looking at his watch. She nodded and they both walked down the stairs. Kenshin grabbed the keys and Kaoru slipped on yellow flip flops and they walked to his small car. They jumped in and took off.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked looking at him the wind blowing through her hair from the rolled down windows.

"What?" He asked looking at her quickly then back to the road.

"You said you were coming after me last night. But you didn't." She said staring deeply at him.

"Yes I did." He said flatly as if she should know that.

"You didn't bust into the restaurant and hold your gun to his head threatening to kill him if he didn't let me go and come home safely with you." She said her eyes innocent but showing she had given it much thought.

"Kaoru, even if I did go inside I wouldn't have done that to such a powerful and influential man like Kessler." Kenshin said trying to stifle his laughter at her idea.

"Wait, you were outside? Kenshin Himura you better tell me what you were doing and where you went last night before I sound even more stupid." Kaoru shouted sitting with her hands folded in her lap waiting for an explanation.

"I left shortly after you did, following your limo to the restaurant. I sat outside watching over you carefully to make sure he didn't do anything or try to take you anywhere else. He and I both knew he wasn't taking you last night and wouldn't do anything either. That's why barging in and waving my gun around wouldn't do anything. So I sat outside watching you and the server of your table saw me in the reflection of a picture on the wall. He came out assuming I was going to rob the place or something stupid like than and I ended up being pushed into the pool. So now that I was wet and angry I jumped out of the pool, persuaded the waiter to kindly go back inside and serve you like he should. He obeyed and I sat in the bushes when I got attacked by a squirrel.

The squirrel put up a good fight along with two of his buddies but I managed to throw them into the street where a semi scared the shit out of them and they ran. So now with severe scratch wounds and the chlorine seeping into my wounds making them sting I continued to watch. Soon I could feel a cold coming on from the freezing air and my wet clothes. So I went home knowing you could handle yourself, but not without bribing the boy who parked your car to keep watch over you. I went home and...got sick and you know the rest." He said watching the road the whole time.

Kaoru couldn't help but laugh at his story but it made sense. She felt better about the night and soon they pulled into the parking lot. The same valet took their car and parked it as they walked up to the same building and into the same steel elevator.

They waited in the same silence, Kaoru smiling at the thought of Kenshin being attacked by squirrels. She looked over at him and realized he did have a few scratches on his arms and one small one above his eyebrow. Kenshin's imperial colored eyes gazed at her in anticipation. He worried she wouldn't be able to answer the questions right, he worried HE would have Kenshin taken out of the room, he worried she would get scared and forget what happened. He worried to much.

"So what exactly do I have to do?" She asked breaking the silence.

"HE'll ask you questions and you answer them." Kenshin said.

"Smart ass..." Kaoru whispered into the silence, her voice seeming to sink into the metal doors.

"He'll just ask you questions about last night. Questions that I would have asked if I was well last night." He said.

"Oh." She said looking at the floor in thought. "Give short but decisive answers. Don't go into detail and don't add frivolous information." Kenshin added, ensuring her success with his boss. The elevator screeched to a halt and they stepped out and down the hall.

"I can't believe I told HIM Kessler was hot." Kaoru said her hand on her head as they drove down the road.

"I can't believe HE agreed." Kenshin replied surprise running across his face. Kaoru turned her head and smiled at him the started to laugh. Both of them laughed for a while and Kaoru turned up the radio which was playing Creed.

"Kaoru, do you like Kessler?" Kenshin asked, his voice breaking the silence in the room. Kaoru looked up from her cooking and peered at the red headed man reading the news paper. Kenshin never looked up form the black and white article.

"I think, he is charming, and handsome." She said after a while of thinking. She had to use the right words, she didn't want Kenshin to be jealous or angry. Kenshin didn't answer, he just continued to read as if she had been speaking to herself. She looked down at her mush for food and walked over towards Kenshin sitting at the round wooden table. She put on hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"Why?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, I figure that if you like him and he likes you then you should go with him and he can get our money and the mob won't have to deal with him." He said looking back down at his paper. Kaoru was horrified. Did that mean Kenshin didn't want to deal with her either?

She backed up into the kitchen slowly trying to calm her beating heart. She was so scared Kenshin was going to just, give her up. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing shallowly as she thought over her options. Soon, after the smell of burning food hit her nostrils, she formulated a plan to get Kenshin to change his mind.

She continued to cook the food, even if her cooking skills were, of lower quality. Once she was finished with her stew she poured it into two separate bowls and set one down in front of Kenshin. They ate their food in silence and Kaoru walked up stairs to set up her plan to keep Kenshin with her.

A/N: Flog me. Do it::Throws rock in air and allows it to hit me on the head: Join in! Maybe I'll get the hint and fucking update! I hate me as much as you do for this short chapter. I promise I will have the next update up by July 1st or your money back. Acctually, if I'm late, I promise I will have some sort of a surprise for you as a reward. Now, it doesn't count if I update on July 1st and it doesn't show until July 2nd.


	17. Chapter 17

"Kenshin!" Kaoru's loud voice drifted to his small ears. He had moved to the living room after he had finished the "food" Kaoru had made. He looked up his red hair bouncing with the movement. He stood up and stared walking up the stairs "What?"

"Come here please!" A chipper voice echoed out of his room. The door was shut and he was a bit confused by her intention but opened the door none-the-less. Kaoru was sitting on his large white bed one leg folded over the other. The lights were low and Kenshin blinked trying to see better. He was confused and made sure to be aware of his surroundings. Vanilla. The strong scent of Vanilla punched into his senses and made him aware of the candles above the bed.

"Kaoru...what are you doing?" He asked looking her over and taking a few bewildered steps toward the bed. She was wearing a small, tight black leather skirt and a thin white shirt of his with the buttons unbuttoned. She smiled seductively, her lips covered in sticky red lipstick.

"I got to thinking about what you said earlier. And I realized you thought I didn't like you, and I wanted to do something to show that I appreciate everything you've done for me." She said dramatically. His lips curled into a pleased smirk at the hidden meanings in her statement.

Kaoru unfolded her legs and patted the bed next to her. Kenshin tried not to look like he was eager, but he couldn't control his body practically lunging at the bed. He soon regained control and heard a light giggle fall from her lips. He turned his head to look at her and she was already wrapping her arms around him.

Her lips attacked his her lipstick soon smearing onto him. Kenshin smiled when her excited tongue slipped into his mouth. Kaoru left a trail of kisses from his mouth to his neck, but his grin stayed put.

"We should do this more often." He said feeling her mouth twist into a smile.

Kaoru lay on his bed her chest moving rapidly from her labored breath. Her black hair was ruffled and her blue eyes are wide and filled with satisfaction. Her arm lay carelessly across his chest and her cheek was squished into his pillow that smelt of his masculine cologne. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes slowly. 'I can't believe I did that. But it worked!' Her mind shouted in her ears which made them pound.

'He won't question me now! Kessler is hot, but Kenshin is...'She cut herself off with a smiling sigh of content. She could feel his hand clasp hers and his thumb gently rub the top of it. She lethargically pulled her body up onto her elbow and leaned onto his chest enough to grab his lips in a brief kiss. His closed eyes opened and stared into her blue ones.

"Kaoru...I..." He started, unable to finish his thought.

"You what?" She asked leaning closer to him. He smiled and pressed his lips against hers once more his hand flying to the back of her head. When they parted her eyes opened in mystification. "Kenshin," She said in a question-like tone.

He pulled her head next to his in a light hug and he embraced her body closing his disappointed eyes. 'I, love you.' He thought, wanting to tell her but when he opened his mouth no words would come fourth. Self loathing tears knocked at the back of his eyes but he would not allow them to break through and ruin the moment.

Kaoru's hands had grasped his shoulders and she was holding him tight feeling like nothing could ruin this moment. Her eyes closed slowly and soon she surrendered to the darkness surrounding her consciousness.

Her eyes opened slowly her hand flexing and her fingers running through her hair. She smiled goofily and looked around the room yawning. She sat up and her eyes opened wide as she realized she was not in Kenshin's house anymore. The room had dark blue walls and she was lying in a large red bed with a canopy around her. The door opened quietly and in walked Kessler dressed in a dark green suit.

Her wide eyes shrunk to slits When she realized he had taken her from Kenshin and brought her to this place. Her mind was racing with thoughts such as 'Am I that deep of a sleeper that I wouldn't realize when someone took me to their house.'

"What do you want?" Kaoru spat. He smiled at her violent anger and shrugged. "Just you, your money, hell, I'd even take your bank account number and password." He said smiling wickedly at her. She glared harshly at him.

"Where's Kenshin?" She asked averting her glare to the carpet. A loud chuckle emerged from his chest.

"Ahh, yes. I almost forgot about your lover. He's in the basement." Kessler said nodding as if to confirm it.

"Let him go." Kaoru said very quietly and in a low tone. Her voice was filled with hate and just a tint of regret.

"He's to much of a threat. After what you two did yesterday, he wont give up without fighting me, in an attempt to kill." Kessler said turning around and walking out of the room. A few seconds after a small boy walked in. He was dressed in a tux and he had round brown eyes and short black hair. He smiled politely, obviously beaten into him, and held his hand out to her. "My name is Yahiko Myojin, I will be helping you adapt to this house." The small boy said. She held her hand out reluctantly and they shook hands quickly.

"Kaoru," She said lazily. A frown accented his lips but he kept his mouth shut. "Well, Kaoru, Kessler would like you to wear this dress to dinner." He said pointing to s glittering red dress hanging from the closet door. Her eyes widened in shock at how stunning it was, and how low the neck was.

"Thanks kid, I'll just slip into it. You can go now." She said standing up and dismissing him not expecting what was coming next.

"Your to ugly to wear that dress if you ask me." He said crossing his arms and smiling at her. She turned around and he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Why you little brat." She said grabbing the closest thing to her, which turned out to be a lap and attempted to beat him over the head with it. 'This little kid is so annoying! Who does he think he is?' Her mind screamed at her as she managed to hit him three times the welts already beginning to form. He rubbed his head and shook his fist at her. "Good thing your fighting isn't as bad as your looks or you'd be hitting yourself." He said sticking is tongue out again and receiving several more beatings.

The door opened once more and Yahiko straitened up looking at another man who poked his head through the door to see what was happening. "Yahiko, stop flirting with her." The man said just to make the kid angry. The small boy became angry and started stomping towards the door to argue with the man but he closed the door before he could.

"Yahiko, I'm serious. I wont get dressed with you standing there." She said. He pointed to something behind her and when she turned around she realized there was a bathroom. She grabbed the dress and glared back at him then stomped into the washroom and slammed the door. She made sure to lock it and changed into her dress. When she came out Yahiko was holding a pearl necklace and a matching bracelet out to her. She accepted them staring at their beauty and forgetting the boy was there.

He wasn't happy about being ignored, he didn't seem to like her at all. She placed the necklace and bracelet on quickly and marveled at their beauty. She quickly brushed her hair out at the vanity mirror against the wall. She began to put it up into a ponytail when she was interrupted. "You should leave it down." Came a soft voice behind her.

She turned around and saw Yahiko staring at her intently. "Awe. You really think so?" She asked pulling her hair out and allowing it to call over her shoulders. He blushed a bit and nodded. "I don't like you, and I think you're ugly." He muttered. Kaoru heard him but from his round about way of complimenting her earlier it made her keep her mouth shut.

She brushed her hair once more and stood up. Yahiko led her out of the rom and down a few halls, she tried to ask as many questions about the building as possible and remember every turn they took. He led her into a large room with a huge table that could seat fifteen. Kessler was sitting at the end of this table, dressed in his tux. Once she entered he smiled and stood up. She was seated and the food was brought out. They started with a small salad and a glass of red wine. Kaoru made sure to only drink half of her glass, not that she couldn't handle a whole one, just that if he had it drugged the effects would be cut in half.

She smiled politely at Kessler and finished off her salad. Next they came out with a small bowl of soup. She ate part of it and folded her hands in her lap waiting for Kessler to break the pending silence. "Don't kill him." Kaoru couldn't stop herself from saying. Kessler smiled. "It would only be out of self defense my dear." He said causing her to shutter with his friendly talk.

"You wont have my money." She said to him harshly as the main course of crab legs arrived. She began to eat it her ears listening for his voice to reach them. "Does he love you?" Kessler asked his head cocked in question.

"What?"

"Does he love you?"

"Of course!"

"Has he told you that"

"..." Kaoru couldn't speak. Her lips were pressed together tightly, words unable to pass through. She didn't want him to know he was right but she couldn't give herself the satisfaction to say yes. He hadn't. Kenshin had never told her his feelings..at least not that he loved her. She needed to know, but Kenshin was no where to be found. A small laugh escaped Kessler's mouth, a taunting laugh that told her he knew he was right.

"So your knight in shining armor will save you then leave. That's not a very good fairy tail." He said Kaoru's eyebrows tensing in frustration. "I have an offer for you. You forget about being the damsel in distress and, with the simple transfer of some money from your pocket to mine, I can be your knight, but one who will stay with you." Kaoru couldn't look at his smug face anymore. She had to cast her eyes to her half empty plate, thinking over this offer.

"I love you, Kaoru." He said as if it was a widely know fact. Her eyes snapped back up to him in angry shock.

"You don't love me, you love my money." Her voice rang low and threateningly. "Kaoru, you'll learn to love me in time. Kenshin will never be able to admit his love for you since...he obviously doesn't." Kessler said knowing exactly what to say to push her buttons.


	18. living up to expectations

Another chapter!

"I could never love a coward like you. At least Kenshin fights for what he wants. You just sneak around and steal it from others." She said in a threatening tone. He held his hand to his heart, acting like he was hurt by her statement.

"Kaoru, I am the bad guy. What do you expect?" He asked innocently.

"I expect you to fight Kenshin and win my love like a real man." She said standing up quickly. She grabbed her napkin, her knuckles turning white from gripping it so hard with anger. Her knitted forehead twitched with irritation and her blue eyes flared with rage. She threw her red napkin down on the table and stomped towards the door.

Kessler stood up, seeing his date leaving angrily made him worried. He was a lover not a fighter and he hated to leave a date disappointed. "Kaoru! Wait Kaoru." He said as he jogged up next to her. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides as she stormed towards the wooden door. She held her hands out and pushed the door open furiously. Kessler followed.

"Kaoru, Don't be this way, living with you angry at me all the time wont get this relationship working. Didn't you have a good time with me last time? Before all of this? What changed?" He asked, his tone sounding almost, worried.

"Kenshin and I have worked some things out, I love him and you taking him away from me just to have my money and 'be with me'" She said moving her fingers to show how sarcastic she was. "Makes me want to puke rather than be with you." She said harshly.

"But we can work it out to. You'll see. I'm not such a bad guy." He said holding his hands to his chest.

"You're not a man at all Kessler..." She paused looking up to him. "You're a monster." She said her tone serious. She stood there, poised in her position for a few seconds letting him soak that in, until she turned sharply on her heel and left him, speechless.

Dark. Cold. Damp. Average adjectives for an average, yet uncomfortable situation. Kenshin wasn't in an average, yet uncomfortable situation...it was worse. Adjectives better suited for the way he felt, and the conditions he was surviving would be as follows:

-Dingy

-Melancholy fog

-Chills seeping to the bone

-Clinging wetness

Kenshin was sitting up against the wall, his legs spread out in front of him, his head lowered, slack. He was drifting in and out of consciousness. He felt like a over weight elephant had decided to take a nap on his chest over the night. His mangled red hair fell, limp into his dreary anapaestic eyes, slowly dripping with red water. His head, under his mangy hair, was throbbing and aching, the feeling of a large square spike being ground into his skull. Painful memories fogging his senses while he was awake and tormenting his dreams while he was asleep. The ground was covered in water, tainted by blood, and spiders running quickly across it. A cricket could be heard, echoing through the dungeon, calling for its mate. The musky smell of piss and vomit was the only thing keeping him awake, or causing him to black out for a moment.

The ground was stained a gray red and the light sound of snoring was heard far down the hall. Kenshin's eyes opened once more, but this time, instead of his vision blurred and the strong smell blocking out all other senses, he actually came to. He looked down his legs, which looked long in his position and saw dirty, wet ripped jeans and thick black shackles at his ankles. Later on he would look back and laugh at how juvenile they were. He was bare footed, and he already knew there would be nothing in his pockets. He slowly lifted his head to see he was in a small room.

There was no door, there was an opening were the door should be, but instead of a wooden or metal plank set in the frame, it was thick gray metal rods, cemented in the ceiling and floor. They were close together, but you could still see to the other side of the hallway. He looked around, not sure how he got into the cell if there was no door. There was a bed, more like a box with a mattress on top of it, and a toilet. Kenshin smiled, looked around, and for the first time in his life, wished someone would save him. He had always done things for himself, he even saved others, but had never asked for anything in return. He had never really been saved, in a life or death situation. Kenshin shook that thought from his head, realizing quickly that noone could save him but himself, and he was capable of getting out.

He placed his hands on the ground and pushed himself all the way against the wall so she could get a better look at everything through the thick darkness. He glanced upwards and saw a latch. He looked back up and realized there was a opening. Of course it was a small door, like a door to an attic, but it was still a door. Now he knew how he got in the cell, and now he knew how he was going to get out. Kenshin leaned his head back on the wall, staring hard at the door.

_Why do I need to get out?_

_Is there even a reason anymore?_

_What's waiting for me?_

_A big empty house, a job that will lead me to no good, and...and...Kaoru._

_Kaoru, the girl I thought I hated. Kaoru the woman I feel in love with. Kaoru my reason to live. _

_Kaoru is why I have to get out of here, Kaoru is what's waiting for me._

A smile danced over his chapped lips. Life returned to his sorry eyes. He sat up, off of the wall and looked around once more, analyzing his situation. His hand met his head, and he felt a thick liquid, sitting in his hair. He looked at his hand and it was stained crimson. He looked from his hand to the ceiling to his hand again.

_They dropped me from the ceiling?_

He sighed and , realized the blood leaking form his head, and the water dropping form the cracked roof was the reason for his drenched hair, dripping with red water. He closed one eye and leaned his head back again, a feeling of dread and regret settled over his body and mind.

_First, I'm going to get out fo here. Then I'm going to find myself a guard to take my anger out on. Then I'll take his weapon, hopefully a gun. Then I'll find Kaoru, and I'll make sure she is safe. Then I'll find Kessler and blow his fucking brains out. Then, I'll take Kaoru home and get my reward for saving her. Then I'll get a big fat check from my boss for getting rid of Kessler. Then, I'll sleep. _

Kenshin's thought process was a little stirred up from his condition. However, he was determined for what he was about to do. All he had to do was gain enough strength. Just as he was thinking about his elaborate plan to save Kaoru then sleep the latch on the door flung open and the door pulled open. A metal bucket, with a strong tied to the handle came down, obviously by a man. The bucket set down on the floor and the string was dropped and the door slammed shut. Kenshin, curious as to what was in the bucket began to crawl towards it, but not without faltering a few times.

His head throbbed harder and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. His vision began to blacken but he was determined. His sinuses cleared and his mouth became dry as he peered into the pale. There was a large ham sandwich wrapped in a yellow plastic bag. There was also a bottle of water and a large bag of chips. Both bags had holes in them, to keep anyone who owned the bags from attempting suicide. Kenshin ignored the fact that this food looked iffy and grabbed the bottle of water. He took two large sips then realized that he must be dehydrated. If he drank the whole thing quickly he would throw up, and the air already smelled like vomit, he didn't need to add to it.

He started on his sandwich, tearing off pieces and eating it slow, to let his stomach react to the now foreign object called food. He finished his sandwich, and feeling his tummy could handle the chips he inhaled them. All the while he was slowly taking sips of his water. After his stomach settled and his food was digested he felt he was ok to stand up. Slowly he pushed himself up off the ground and stood slowly. The blood rushed to hsi head and his vision blurred. He stammered towards the wall and rest his hand on it to sturdy himself. He shook his head and the aching pain disappeared and he could see once more. Now that he was standing the celled looked small.

He felt better, the throbbing died down, he thought his head stopped bleeding, he was no longer hungry. He looked up at the door on the ceiling and walked underneath it. He stared up at it, questioning it. "You can't get up there." Came a confident voice from beside Kenshin. He didn't flinch, he had been through to much pain to think anything worse could happen to him. However, his head did snap in that direction, his eyes narrowing, and his head throbbing once more. The voice belonged to Kessler of course. And it made Kenshin want to hurl. It had nothing to do with that fact that Kenshin hadn't heard anything louder than a cricket in god knows how long, causing his ear drums to be very sensitive and he couldn't remember when his last meal was, aside form what he just ate...oh no, it was the sound of his voice.

"Were is she?" Was the first thing Kenshin asked, his eyes dangerous slits, flashing amber.

"My, my, is that all you two ever think about?" Kessler asked a light chuckle emerging from his chest. Kenshin spat on the floor, a it surprised to find blood still mixed up in it.

"Is she ok?" Kenshin asked walking towards the metal bars that should be a door.

"She's fine...and sadly so are you." Kessler said quickly adding the last part. Kenshin gripped the bars of his cell tightly.

"When I get out of here I'm going to kill you and mount your head above my fireplace." Kenshin said angrily.

"Now, Battousai." Kessler said as if scolding a child. "I wouldn't say mean things like that to your captor if I was you. I do have your largest weakness in my possession. We wouldn't want something to happen to her would we?" He asked Kenshin pacing back and fourth outside his cell.

"You wont touch her!" Kenshin said emphasizing the word touch.

Kessler just smiled at him, winking as if he knew something Kenshin didn't. Kenshin punched the wall next to him hard, but Kessler only stared at him, blinking. Everything about that man bothered Kenshin. Everything. Kenshin couldn't see what Kaoru saw in him that day at the hospital, but whatever it was she was over it now...or at least he hoped she was.

Kaoru punched her wall hard, her fist making a loud cracking noise. Anger and pain rolled over her face as she looked down at it. Her hand was not broken, but it was injured. She had hit the wall so hard in her anger a small cut appeared on her middle knuckle and a drop of blood poked through the cut in her skin. She ignored it and clenched her teeth.

_Kenshin loves me!_

Her fist hurled through the air once more and painfully smashed against the red wall, beginning to drip with her fresh blood.

_He has to love me! _

Bam! Her fist struck the wall again, causing the light above her to rattle and the light to flicker.

_Damn you grandma for telling me punching a wall relieves stress._

Kaoru's knees buckled and her body fell to the floor. Her hands, bruised and cut, flew to her face and covered her eyes. Hot salty tears flowed from her eyes, causing her eyes to inflame and redden. Her nose stuffed up and her mouth felt moist and sticky. Her tears tormented her face, running down her cheeks. She felt a thumb slowly slide across her tear stricken cheek, clearing away all of her doubt filled tears.

Her inquiring blue orbs looked at the familiar hand, she looked up to the face of the owner of that hand.


	19. The press

"Kenshin. I-I thought you..." Kaoru began but that same kind hand placed a finger on her lips, causing her words to stop. Kaoru's sad, wet blue eyes watched him, studied his face as if it was going to be the last time she saw him. A small grin captured her lips, and despite her growing concern for his battered body, grateful tears filled her eyes.

Large, wet arms wrapped themselves around her shaking form, his hand grasping the back of her head, her ebony hair spilling over her shoulders, and onto his face. Kaoru's body began to shake out of fear and her bitter tears. His already wet shirt was soaking to the brim with her salty tears.

"It's ok Kaoru. I'm not leaving you again." came a rough quiet voice squeezed out of his chest. Kenshin's head wound had stopped bleeding but he gained a few more scratches from his trek up there. He had a small bullet would on his lower left arm, and his chest was marked up with large gashes that tore his shirt apart.

Kenshin closed his eyes tightly, taking in her smell, sounds, and feel. She still smelt like Jasmine, even though she had been through so much pampering by Kessler, and she still sounded like Kaoru. Kenshin gripped her tighter, making sure she was really there and it wasn't an illusion.

"Kenshin, I missed you so much." She said her voice muffled form his shirt. She gripped him tighter, both her arms hooked under his. "I know, I shouldn't have left you alone, this is all my fault." Kenshin said, closing his eyes tightly. His chest throbbed with pain, both from his flesh wounds and from his guilt. He never thought he could miss the touch of someone this much.

Kaoru's red dress was gently soaking up some of his wetness, she was shaking violently, but she felt comfortable in his grasp. Though he was wet and shivering she felt warm in his arms. "Kenshin, I love you." She said pulling her head back a bit to stare into his purple eyes. Her tears stopped flowing, and now she was left with a red face and a sniffling nose. Kenshin stared down at her, his face dirty and scratched, but he didn't care. Her words warmed his heart, he felt like he could dance and run yet he was glued to the floor.

"I love you too." He replied happily, a broad smile accented his face. Without thinking he dipped his head towards hers capturing her lips in a small kiss. He managed to tell her his feelings through that kiss, and she smiled. Her blue eyes stared up into his purple.

"I'll never leave you again. It's selfish, but I want you all to myself." He said his eyes kind and his mouth curved into a grin. Kaoru giggled a bit, her arms falling down to wrap around his waist.

"I'd never leave you anyway." Kaoru said leaning up against him once more. The door next to Kaoru opened tentatively, and Kenshin stiffened up. His loose hold on her tightened up and he managed to move her further from the door, behind him. Kenshin was glad the door opened in, towards them so Kenshin saw who it was before they saw him. Short spiky black hair popped in, then followed inquiring brown eyes, and a young Yahiko looking around the room. Once he spotted them he smiled.

"They're here Kenshin." He said happily, until he realized who was behind Kenshin. He blushed, his mouth becoming small and his eyes wide. He quickly stepped from the room, closing the door before he could hear Kenshin thank him. 

"Who's here?" She asked quickly, the love struck sparkle in her eyes fading.

"I called some friends to take Kessler." Kenshin said happily, his eyes twinkling with pleasure. Kaoru wanted badly to know what Kenshin did to him, but she wasn't sure how to ask. Kenshin unraveled himself from Kaoru then stood up. He held his hand out to her and helped her up. She stood up and brushed her dress off, as she was about to try to clean up her face he grabbed her hand, rubbed the back of it with his thumb for a moment then took off out of the door, dragging her along.

She followed as quickly as she could in a tight red dress and high heels. "Ditch the shoes." Kenshin said turning his head a bit to project his voice so she could hear him. She tried to stop to pull off her shoes but he continued to drag her along. So she just flipped them off, hopping along, it must have been a strange sight to see one tear stained woman in formal, and one dirty man with ripped clothes running hand in hand down the hall way. Kaoru had momentarily forgotten about her image and just focused on running.

Soon Kenshin had slowed down and stopped at an unmarked white door. "This is were it gets...gross." Kenshin said slowly looking at her with a concerned look.

"I can handle it, I have you." She said smiling. Though it was a nice sentiment, she was actually just curious to see what was past the door. Kenshin flung open the door so she could see before she decided to come in with him. She peered through the dimly lit room.

It was an open room leading to a long hallway of cells, the ones like what Kenshin was trapped in. Laying on the wet cold cement floor in front of Kaoru were two men, in suits. They were strangled to death, which was clearly marked. There were large red marks, almost welts on their necks, their mouths were half open so they appeared to be gasping for a breath. There eyes where open staring into nothing, foggy and the twinkle of life had been smothered from them. She frowned and looked away in distaste. "Let's go Kenshin..." She said quickly. She didn't want to think weather or not it was Kenshin that had done this to these men, he was in the mafia after all. He did things like this everyday.

Kenshin stared at her worried, he didn't want her to think he was a monster, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable or feel unsafe but he also didn't want to leave her. At her soft words he grabbed her hand and pulled her along the hallway, maneuvering around the lump of bodies. Kenshin pulled her along a small corridor that sprouted from the large hallway. There were three figures looming ahead of them. Kenshin gripped her hand tighter, he wasn't sure exactly who they were, and he didn't want to endanger Kaoru.

"Kenshin.." She whispered, glancing at him distressed. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The figures soon came into the light and they could be seen better. Two tall men, one with spiky hair, the other with glossy black hair, the third short and fidgeting. Kenshin's grasp loosened considerably and Kaoru felt better though the figures looked familiar, but she wasn't sure...

Sano, Aoshi, and Soujiro stood there staring at the approaching couple. Sano's eyes wandered to their clasped hands and he smiled playfully at Kenshin. Kenshin ignored him for the moment and his face got serious, yet it held this gentle concern for the welfare of others and a tiny sparkle of joy. It was a strange look, Kaoru had never seen anything quite like it before. She assumed that was his 'let's get down to business' look. Kenshin pointed out the cell they were standing in front of and Kaoru's eyes followed his delicate finger to the darkened cell she hadn't noticed before. There was a figure in there, she squinted and she could make out Kessler, His eyes were closed, his face a deep red. Kaoru became scared looking at him. He was tied to the ceiling with a long thick rope, his head was near the ground, and blood dripped from several wounds on his body. His hands were bound behind him with black cloth that Kaoru assumed was from his ripped black pants.

He was tied up there pretty well. He looked dead, she couldn't handle the sight, she stepped closer to Kenshin and leaned into his shoulder a bit, trying hard not to look at him. Kenshin had been speaking to the group as she observed Kessler, and he didn't notice her until she leaned into him. He followed her frightened gaze towards Kessler.

"He's not dead, we're trying to figure out how to get in there without having to go through the ducts. There more dangerous than you think." Kenshin said rubbing his wounded stomach tenderly. Kaoru looked up to him a small accepting smile on her face and she nodded.

"Anyway," Kenshin said looking up to the guys, Soujiro smiling wider than usual and Sano winking at him. Kenshin rolled his eyes at them but couldn't keep a goofy grin off his face. "Kenshin, I got this one, like I was trying to say. Aoshi grabbed your katana." Sano said looking at Aoshi who pulled said sword from inside his long black trench coat. He handed it to Kenshin tenderly and he took it, grateful to have it.

"Thanks." He said, releasing Kaoru's hand and unsheathed it. All of them watched him as he walked up to the set of bars were the door should be. His sword was infamous for being as sharp as one could be. He held it in one hand and he swung it side ways high in the air, then again towards the floor. After a few seconds the metal made a popping sound and fell in all different directions clanging as they hit the ground. Kenshin stepped into the cell and jumped high into the air swinging his sword across again causing the large rope to snap and Kessler's limp body to fall to the ground with a loud thud. 

"You called the police right?" Kenshin asked stepping around the body cautiously. Kaoru's eyes widened.

"Why do you want the police involved in this? Your in the mafia, wont they arrest you to?" Kaoru asked her voice loud and echoing. She could feel tears pounding at the back of her eyes again, she didn't want him to leave her. Kenshin, Sano, Aoshi, and Soujiro exchanged glances, it was an uncomfortable moment in which Kaoru felt awkwardly dumb. "Kenshin..." Kaoru whispered, feeling like he had to tell her something. He looked hesitant.

"Kaoru, I couldn't tell you this before, but I'm a detective." Kenshin said, staring at her hard, hoping she wouldn't get angry. She heard his words but they didn't register, they sounded so weird coming from him.

"No, you can't trick me, your in the Mafia." Kaoru said quickly, a smile on her lips as she waved it off. Kenshin exchanged worried glances with his buddies again.

"Kaoru, I'm serious. I'm a cop." He said his face stone cold, Kaoru's smile dropped.

"Kenshin, stop lying to me."

"I'm not!" He said his voice raising out of frustration.

"But, your boss, how do you explain him?" She asked curiously.

"Kaoru, this whole time we have been staking out to find Kessler and you happened to fall into my lap, giving me just what I needed to find him. My boss, is an actor, we couldn't let you in on it, you were just to valuable." Kenshin said his face still holding worry.

"You lied to me...all of you. This whole thing, everything I've been through for the past few months! Everything." She said whispering the last word. She closed her eyes. Kenshin took a step towards her, his hand out but he felt awkward in front of his friends.

"Guys, go wait for the back up." He said quietly, they all filed out slowly, looking sympathetically at him. She stood there her head bowed, and her eyes shut, small tears falling from her eyes.

Kenshin put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up slowly. "Look, you've had a very long day, I know this doesn't help. But, when I first met you, I thought you were just an angry girl, but in the time I've gotten to know you, I've fallen in love with you, and this moment became harder and harder for me to face. I wish I didn't have to lie to you in the first place, hell if I could I wouldn't tell you I was a detective, but you needed to know. I love you, weather I'm a good guy or a bad guy." He said his hand wiping her tears away and brushing her hair from her face. He leaned in and gave her forehead a light kiss. Kaoru smiled, and took his hand in hers, swinging her arm a bit.

"It's ok, I prefer you being a cop, it actually makes my life easier." She said quietly, her eyes still held pain, but he could tell she was going to be ok.

"Does it now?" He asked as she led him from the cell. They slowly walked through the corridors, when they heard many loud footsteps coming their way. A large squad of police ran towards Kessler's cell, pushing through Kenshin and Kaoru. Kenshin looked back at them angrily, then turned to Kaoru smiling. "That's my back up. They'll take care of him." Kenshin said happily, as if they didn't just run into both of them.

"So, looks like I'll have to get to know a totally different Kenshin." Kaoru said slowly as they began to walk hand in hand once more.

"I hope I'm not totally different, otherwise you might not fall in love with me all over again. But who wouldn't love me?" He asked staring up towards the ceiling as if he were on stage showing the world his beauty.

"You got me there." She said smiling. They pushed through the unmarked white door and the guys were standing outside it. They smiled at the two of them. Kenshin blushed and just walked past them, as he walked past Sano, he gave him a nudge, Kenshin looked over his shoulder at him and smiled cunningly.

They walked down the hallways of the building, and soon they saw Yahiko who smiled at them, blushing at their clasped hands. Yahiko turned, about to walk away from the couple when he heard Kenshin's voice.

"Hey, could you direct us to the exit?" Kenshin asked him, he nodded and began to walk to his right. They followed him, the walk silent, all three afraid to say something that would make the others uncomfortable.

"Did you get him Sir?" Yahiko asked curiously. Smiling at the thought of his ex-boss tied up in a cell.

"Yeah, you did good kid. You'll be a great cop when you get older, just like your dad." Kenshin said ruffling his hair playfully. Yahiko swatted his hand away laughing and smiling.

"Really? Thanks!" He said enthusiastically. Kenshin could see Yahiko really loved his dad and wanted to be a cop very badly, he was so eager for compliments and encouragement.

"He's in on it to?" Kaoru asked loudly. Kenshin's happy smile shrunk to a confused frown, then her words registered and the smile returned.

"Yeah, we needed someone on the inside. I told you this was a big operation." Kenshin said nodding.

"I guess so." Kaoru said quietly, soon they were at the front door. They stepped out into a scene of chaos. News paper reporters, paparazzi, police, squad cars, caution tape, crime scene investigators, everyone.

As they pushed through the doors all the attention was put upon them, lights went off like crazy and Kaoru was having trouble seeing. Kenshin looked down to her, then at the cameras angrily. Reporters were shoving microphones in his face and asking many questions. Kenshin held his hand out repeating 'no comment.'

A tall thin man walked up to Kenshin with short gray hair and a fuzzy beard. He had square glasses and blue eyes. "You did good. Congratulations! And this is the pretty little woman I've heard so much about, huh?" He asked patting Kenshin on the back then looking at Kaoru and smiling. She smiled uneasily.

"General Gordon, I'm your boyfriends boss." He said smiling, holding his hand out to her. She blushed and took his hand laughing uneasily.

"Kamiya Kaoru, but you knew that." Kaoru said smiling. Gordon laughed and nodded.

"Your boyfriend is good at catching guys like him. I hope he apologized for lying to you." He said giving Kenshin a scrutinizing look. Kenshin nodded quickly. He linked arms with Kaoru quickly and patted her elbow. "Yup, I apologized, and explained myself, thanks General." Kenshin said rapidly, not wanting Kaoru to get uncomfortable since he wasn't speaking.

"Wait..." Kaoru said staring hard at the General, ignoring the fact that Kenshin was uncomfortable and wanted to step away from the General.

"Mr. Gordon?" Kaoru asked, staring hard at him still. The general smiled, and Kenshin frowned, wondering what she was talking about.

"Mr Gordon? Flower shop Gordon? Oh my gosh! I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?" She asked excitedly. The old man laughed joy dancing in his light blue eyes.

"I'm fine Kaoru" He said smiling. She smiled widely, an urge to hug him washed over her.

"What?" Kenshin asked loudly, trying to understand what was happening.

"Mr. Gordon came into the flower shop once a week and talked to me, Misao and Megumi. But, he's been in on this the whole time...Jesus am I the only one who wasn't in on this whole thing?" Kaoru asked loudly. The General released a loud belly laugh and Kenshin couldn't help but chuckle.

"It was nice to se you again Kaoru. Take care of her Kenshin, and watch out, she's a pistol." General Gordon said walking away and patting Kenshin on the back once more. Kaoru smiled gently at the General still surprised to see every one but her knew about this whole operation. Kenshin smiled widely at the General then looked back at Kaoru.

"Looks like the General is going to leave the press up to me." Kenshin said his voice sounding tired. Kaoru's body stiffened and she stared shocked at Kenshin.

"What?" Kaoru asked in a small but urgent voice.

"Just smile, they're easier to deal with right away, if you let them sit for to long they get pushy." Kenshin said steering Kaoru towards the mob of reporters.

"Mr. Himura! Mr. Himura! How did you do it? How long has this been going on? Who's that with you?" The reporters wouldn't stop firing questions at them, but Kenshin stood poised as if he was just in an interview with one person. He seemed at ease in front of the cameras. Unlike Kaoru, who found the only thing she could do, was smile.

A/N: I'm sorry this is so short and it took me like, forever to update. But I couldn't figure out what to do, then the detective thing just...came to me. And I started writing and ended up finishing it in two days.

But I do have a good reason for it being so short, since it's the end of the story I have the last chapter all planned out, so I had to end it here so I can start the last chapter how I want it. Ok, so since this is the second last chapter, I'm going to answer reviewers.

Reignashii Well, they got together, is that good? They'll be getting together more the next chapter as well.

Kasumi977 It's good to hear people like my story. Thanks!

Muffinman (well...lady) Wow, nothing was bad? Really? That's surprising, I hope you liked this chapter too.

Miharu Kawashi I hope the self pity has stopped, I know I kinda made Kaoru the defenseless damsel in distress and I defiantly didn't mean to, but I hope this clears some things up.

Thanks! Sadly, that's all! Defiantly click that blue button, I'd love to have more feed back. 


	20. He said what?

**Herald News**

**Big time assassin and Drug dealer Kessler put behind Bars!**

Kenshin Himura, local Detective and full time special police officer, finally busted one of this

towns biggest drug rings. "It wasn't as hard as it was long," Himura says, "I've been pulling this operation for a few months now." Mr. Himura has been under cover as a hit man for the Mafia, and he didn't realize that one day when he was talking behind a local flower shop to other under cover cops that Kaoru Kamyia would be such an important person in this bust. This young woman has had a rough life, living on her own for nearly all of it, and working long hours to pay for a small home near the outskirts of town, but all of that changed the day she met Kenshin.

She ushered them in from the cold rainy wind and offered them some tea, "I thought he was rude and inconsiderate," she said "That is until I was involved in a shoot out in which I nearly lost my life. It was then that I knew something was wrong with the whole situation." Kamyia recalls. She was told that she "knew to much" as the popular mobster saying goes and was forced to live in the home of Kenshin Himura. Himura, being the good cop he was, tried his hardest to be hospitable to this unknowing innocent woman who was incessantly pestering him about his work.

As Kenshin kept the innocent bystander safe in his home from any dangers there may be a friend of his made a background check on her. Kaoru Kamyia, 19-year-old billionaire. Her father had passed away and her greedy step mother had managed to drop the poor woman when she was only a child, but was unable to escape with more than a few hundred of her dead husbands money. As soon as Kenshin heard that the minor that was staying in his house was a billionaire he knew he had to keep her safe. Pleading to his boss and explaining the situation he was able to let Kaoru stay and room with him.

Now that the two were living together, and all the minor criminals had fled the town, realizing that the "Mafia" was there and they couldn't compete Himura got back to business. The word "escaped" to Kessler that Kaoru was to be a billionaire and anyone who adopted her, being the minor she is, could claim it as their own. Of course the greedy man seized the opportunity and lured her away from long time rival Kenshin's watchful eye.

"He told me that I was beautiful, that I shouldn't be with someone like Kenshin, and that I should come stay with him." Kaoru said shaking her head, "But I know now that if Kenshin hadn't warned me he was dangerous, I might be chained to a wall penny-less." Kaoru had said voicing her happiness about being warned. Kaoru made it safely home but she soon was taken to Kessler's once again, this time it was forced during her sleep. She awoke in his giant mansion and was greeted by the young Yahiko, another under cover cop who was unable to reveal himself to Kaoru. He had been working for Kessler for a very long time, acting as a snitch for Kenshin and his crew.

Kenshin was captured as well, however he was beaten and bruised in the dripping wet cells of Kessler's dungeon. There was virtually no way out of this cell except through a latch in the ceiling, used only to drop him into the cell and to feed him. Himura, using his cunning police skills, managed to escape through that latch door in the ceiling and found his way up to Kessler. Just after Kaoru had run from a disturbing conversation with him, Kenshin found him.

"I hurt him pretty bad, but it was necessary," Himura informed us. "He's a ruthless killer and, though I admit tying him upside down to the ceiling in my cell was a bit harsh, but if he hurt another innocent victim because I didn't act when I should have, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Mr. Himura managed to free Kaoru and many other prisoners who were suffering in his dungeon with the help of a few colleagues.

Kenshin emerged from the home, his prize a smiling Kaoru, and a long time rival put in jail. Himura was awarded from his boss, General Gordon, a higher rank, a few metals and a raise. Kenshin has informed the press that he should soon be retiring with Kaoru, making sure she will always be safe. This remarkable story tells us that lives can be saved, even if you have to trick a few people.

-Reporter Trisha Takanawa

"They made me look like a ditzy damsel in distress." Kaoru said her mouth twisted in a frown. She set the news paper down on the round wooden table and looked up at Kenshin. He turned his head to look into her crystal blue eyes and smiled. "It makes a good story though."

"No all my quotes are stupid. I sound like I'm a porcelain doll that gets thrown around." She said angrily, her features scrunched and her eyes looking back down at the paper.

"They left out a lot of stuff we said. It's all to appeal to the public, honey." He said adding the pet name to the end of his sentence to try and calm her down. He patted the soft white cushion next to him to tell her to sit down.

"Public my ass." She said as she walked over and sat down on the couch. Curling up next to him, her legs folded onto the large couch. She was wearing a white shirt with red sleeves and long blue jeans.

"Maybe I should become a feminist." She said angrily to herself, looking up at him, her head tilted. "What would you think of that?"

He kissed her forehead tenderly. "Maybe I could become a maleist." He said smiling cheekily.

"There's no such thing." She said confidently crossing her thin arms over her chest.

"Then I'll be the first one." Kaoru released a loud laugh, it was short and dry but when she opened her joyful eyes and looked at him and saw the seriousness on his face she laughed harder.

"Yea, it looks just as ridiculous when you say it." He said grinning at her. Kenshin leaned in and kissed her happy pink lips quickly. "You know what else they didn't put in that article?" She hummed as a response, her mouth cocked in a smile, her thoughts of feminism vanished in the kiss.

"When I told them that I love you and I couldn't live without you...that's why I risked my life." He said nodding as if to agree with himself.

Kaoru enclosed her arms around his shoulders and kissed his mouth tenderly. "I love you." She replied, ever since that whole ordeal they had made sure the other knew how they felt. It had been about two weeks since then and they had been inseparable.

"Go get ready." He said kissing her forehead again, he couldn't help himself, sometimes she was so irresistible.

"Get ready for what?" She asked innocently, her large blue eyes inquiring up at him. Her body straightened up and she peered over his shoulder at him.

"Tonight." was his simple answer. He stood up holding his hand out to her. She accepted it and pulled herself up. She ran down the stairs towards her room to get ready for an unexpected night.

Kaoru, dressed in a short, strapless light yellow dress that had a lot of fluffy ruffles at the bottom. Her hair was up in an elegant pony tail as usual and she wore clear high heels. She sat in a embellished limo, the cushions a dark gray.

The limo was black and Kenshin sat next to her. He was in a black suit and his tie was a dark red. His fiery mane was pulled back into a low pony tail and his lavender eyes watched her carefully. He didn't want to stare at her, but it shocked him to find he could be with a woman for so long and she could still take his breath away.

They sat in silence, Kaorus silky white arm rested upon the door and her head resting on her hand as she gazed out the tinted window at the night. The stars shone so brightly that night, and the milky moon looked so big.

She glanced over her shoulder and caught Kenshin's stare. Quickly becoming self conscious she turned her head to face him. "What?" She asked in a low quiet voice, as if she didn't want anyone to hear her.

Kenshin, noticing her squeamish antics leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You just look so beautiful. Thanks for coming out with me." He said causing her to shiver with excitement. It was a somewhat chilly night but it was warm in the limo.

She blushed and grinned leaning back on the door and looking out at the night. "Your so pathetic." She said still smiling to herself. This night was already so romantic, she couldn't think of a way it could be better.

"I am not!" He said defiantly, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at her with an almost angry stare. She turned her head lazily and her eyes danced up and down his stance with glee.

"I never said it was a bad thing..." She trailed off the shadow of a seductive smile glinting across her features. She looked back out the window at the lighted town and she felt his hand encircle hers, in a gesture of acceptance.

The limo slowed and pulled into the parking lot of a beautiful place. The walls of the tall square building were of a red brick and the concrete sidewalk looked new. The place was ablaze with lights and had a very welcoming look to it.

The lights were dimmed but they made up for the lack of wattage with the amount of lights they had. The place, simply put, glimmered. There were valet, but a limo did not need one, so they stepped out from the car and it pulled away instantly.

There was two large glass doors encrusted with sliver and gold but were not tacky or gaudy. Kaoru and Kenshin dashed towards the doors quickly so they could remove themselves from the biting cold. The thick doors were pulled open for the pair and Kaoru and her cold red nose looked about the place with awe.

Though she had been with Kenshin and to places similar to this one many times she still never got used to the glitz and glam. There was a large chandelier in front to greet them and the red carpet was thick and fuzzy. The clicking sound of her high heels were muffled by the floor as she took a few mesmerized paces into the restaurant.

There was a woman standing near the door to seat them, dressed in a white and black uniform just as the rest of her colleagues whom Kenshin was speaking to. There was a slow quiet waterfall on the right corner of the large room, a wooden dance floor to the far left and in the middle where long square tables with plush chairs set about them.

They were covered in deep red table clothes, almost identical to the floor and the tables held elaborate center pieces intricately folded napkins and fancy china. Somewhere towards the back of the room an ice sculpture slowly melted. She quickly noted where the lavatory was, for future reference, and found it to be closer to the dance floor than to the waterfall. Which was good incase there was a line, she wouldn't want to have to stand near running water while nature was calling.

Her smile had only grown as her studious eyes scanned and overturned the room, Kenshin had been standing there waiting for her for some time. A light pink tint covered her already rosy cheeks and she took his out streched hand and he led her to their table.

It was a small table, nestled in between several others identical to it, towards the back of the room. There were two chairs waiting for them, the black seats looking comfortable and clean. Kenshin gripped the back of her chair and pulled it out for her to sit upon then sat down himself.

There were two small pristine white menus placed on top of the fine china in front of the pair. Kaoru reached out, afraid she may spoil the pure white color of her menu but took it up anyway and opened it. The words were small, the prices weren't, but the lay out and design of the menu itself was astonishingly beautiful.

She felt very out of place in a fancy restaurant like this and he could tell by the way she nervously bit at her bottom lip while searching the room uncontrollably every few minutes then glancing back down at her menu, only to look up again.

"Relax Kaoru, would you like me to order for you?" He asked politely, in a quiet and reserved voice. She smiled and nodded her head, not yet trusting her voice to sound calm and respectful. He took one last full look at the menu and set it down upon Kaoru's, and watched her fidget in her set until the waiter visited their table.

Kenshin mumbled something in what sounded like French to the man, they both shared a laugh and the waiter seemed to ease out of his refined, straight back, head up, chin out stance and into a friendly one. Kenshin smiled and thanked the man in his native tongue and he was off, smiling more comfortably than before.

Kenshin had successfully caught her attention with his foreign tongue and the laugher only further intrigued her to know what had gone on between the two men.

"What did you say?" was her quickly reply as she hung slightly over the table as if it were a secret only she should hear.

"I ordered you chicken...is that ok?" He asked adding the last part with a bit of sarcasm but mostly concern. Kaoru leaned back in her chair crossing her thin arms over her chest as she had earlier and tossed her head to the side, her pony tail flicking with her anger.

"I don't find chicken to be very funny." She said quickly, hardly looking at him.

"Well, my French isn't as good as it once was, and we laughed about it. I just want you to be happy and I thought if our waiter wasn't so stuck up and acting royal then you'd feel better." He said waving it off. Quickly, before she could say anything against his argument he started on a new subject.

"Gordon told me that he doesn't want me to quit the force. He says I'm to good to waste my life away at home...rotting is how he put it I believe." Kenshin said putting a thoughtful hand to his chin recalling the mans words.

"Rotting?" Kaoru asked in a quiet yet shrill voice, clearly offended but knowing when she could yell and when she couldn't, and now wasn't the time to yell. Kenshin only nodded, a small smirk of knowledge, like he expected this reaction from her crossed his lips.

"Yes, of course I wouldn't call spending time with you rotting, but I would need something to do or I might get fat and lazy...then I'd be worthless. So there is some truth to his words." Kenshin added, clearly he had thought it over.

"I think you and Mr. Gordon just like to tease me, you don't actually do work you and Gordon sit in an office and think of things you could tell me to get me all worked up like this." She said defensibly as usual.

"Don't say that. You know it's not true. We just think I need to stay in the force." He said his calm air still about him, acting as if Gordon was sitting right next to him.

"Oh, so now it's _we_. What happened to _Gordon_?" Kaoru asked incredulously, causing Kenshin to hesitate, she had him now.

"Well, I think so to. Not that I would rot, just that I love my job and want to stay with it." He said his voice growing more innocent with each passing word. He knew what to say and how to say it to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

"All you had to do was tell me that. You're not old enough to retire anyway, you'd end up taking up some extreme sport like sky diving to pass the time, I think catching bad guys is better than falling out of a plane don't you?" She asked tilting her head and leaning on the table with both of her elbows, staring at her prey just waiting for him to slip up.

"Yes...I'm glad we're on the same page." Kenshin said a bit uneasy. Their food came and Kaoru removed her elbows from the table but never unlocked her gaze with Kenshin. She looked at him with such venom yet such love.

"But if you start to overwork yourself or think that you can stay real late at the office or where ever I wont be scared to march over there and take you home, or yell at your boss for that matter!" She said in a forceful manner yet her smile and pleasant tone never changed.

She looked down at her food then up to the waiter and thanked him, dismissing him with her eyes and tone. He walked away quickly when hearing her sentence feeling sorry for the charming red head who she was with.

"Don't worry about it. I love you to much to stay away from home for to long." He said trying to ignore her tone but found the under lying threat to be very intimidating.

"Hmm." was her response looking down at her delicious master piece that was food. Though she was snapping at him like she was in a bad mood the atmosphere around her was so uplifting and she had already been in such a great mood that nothing could bring her down.

"I was about to put in my two weeks notice to the flower shop today, but I couldn't." Kaoru said, allowing Kenshin to know that she had felt the same way about work.

"I couldn't leave Megumi and Misao like that. Also, who would I gossip with?" She asked as if she hadn't just yelled at him for the same reason.

"Well, I guess no one. But don't think that you can stay late or work to much because I wont hesitate to march over there and take you home, or yell at your boss." He said in a light tone, making fun of her but being serious at the same time. Kaoru blushed, more from anger than embarrassment and set her fork down looking up at him with kindness but her eyes flared with rage.

"I'm working part-time. And I don't see how I could stay late at the flower shop. I'm serious Kenshin, you're not going to ignore me. I love you." She said seriously, her eyes shining with doubt and concern.

"That sounds more like a threat than a term of endearment." Kenshin noted pointing his fork at her and tilting his head almost to warn her that her words were becoming more forced than true. She leaned back in her seat and took a slow deep breath to calm her anger then gave him a pleasant smile. She did love him, and he was right, she needed a bit more patience.

She cut into her meant finding it to resist but was a smooth slice and when she took a bite of it she nearly fell from her seat with delight. "Kenshin." She said quietly in amazement. He looked up and seemed to search her over for the reason of her tone, then when he saw her chewing he smiled.

"I-I can't eat this." She said slowly, the smile of delight still on her face and he lowered his own fork.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" He asked finding that nothing but questions seemed to flow from his mouth.

"If I get used to food like this I wont be able to eat my own cooking." She said taking another bite as she said it and caused a deep chuckle to emit from Kenshin's throat. He shook his head and continued with his eating.

Casual conversation filled the air and Kaoru's seemingly sarcastic and threatening language seemed to stop. They finished quickly and Kenshin ordered them some dessert. The chocolate dipped dessert seemed to disappear into Kaoru: the human vacuum and soon it was just down to the conversational part of the evening.

Kenshin seemed a bit fidgety in his seat, looking around the room at the people then back at her. She was suspicious and looked around as well, almost assuming to see some sort of crime lord that Kenshin was looking for. However she didn't see anyone to suspicious looking, besides the drunken hobo who tried to get into the restaurant, but he was quickly taken care of.

The conversation seemed to dip into a lull and Kaoru looked around once more before she felt and saw a shadow overtake her figure. She looked up, shocked until she realized it was her partner who had stood up. She cocked an eyebrow, tilted her head and gave him a curious look.

He opened his mouth to say something and instead took a deep breath and bent down so one foot was on the floor as was one knee. For a moment Kaoru seemed to black out with her eyes open, or at least that's how she tells the story. When she finally regained mental control her shaking hands flew to her mouth to cover her quivering lips. Her glassy blue eyes were peeled in astonishment as she stared hard down at Kenshin.

He reached into his tuxedo pocket and it seemed like the whole room was watching them, but Kaoru could only see him as she mumbled incoherent words of shock and excitement. He pulled out a small black box, velvet and just the right size for a ring. At this point Kaoru knew what was coming for sure, there was a possibility in the start that he had tripped and landed that way, and then was smiling so sweetly at her to try and cover it up. But there was no way in hell he pulled out that box by accident, happened to have a ring.

He snapped open the small box and looked down to it then back up at her, her eyes were glued to the large ring. The main diamond, which glimmered in the many lights of the room was adorned with many smaller diamonds that seemed to strech all the way around the golden band.

She was shaking, not because she was cold, though she felt like she had gone numb, but because thrill and adrenaline had pumped so quickly throughout her whole body. She hadn't meant to, and if she had known about this prior to the evening she would slap her head in embarrassment, but she cried. Small tears of joy rolled down her grinning cheeks as she stared into his purple eyes which seemed to say everything for him. Though it still needed to be spoken.

"Kaoru, I love you, and always will. You work at a flower shop, but are more beautiful than all the flowers combined and I only hope that you'll share that inner and outer beauty with me. Kaoru Kamiya, will you marry me?" He asked, trying not to make it to long and cheesy, he wouldn't want her to remember this as the high point of his ridiculous flattery.

Her shaking eased up a bit as he addressed her specifically and swept her away with his words. She opened her mouth to speak and moved her hands but found no words would spring from her throat so she nodded her head vigorously and lunged towards him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and nearly knocking him over.

Cordial clapping ensued, some couples exchanged anxious glances, others remembering, and some just plain avoided the others looks, but most returned to their meal within minutes.

Kaoru didn't seem to want to let go, she hugged him so tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks despite the happy laughter emerging from her mouth. Kenshin was relieved, and somewhat happy she wasn't looking at him for a slight blush remained on his cheeks. "I love you so much Kenshin." She said into the crook of his neck as she hugged him tighter. He smiled widely and his arms tightened around her waist. "I love you too Kaoru."

A/N: I've never been good at ending stories. If it sucks, now is the time to tell me. I am open for flames at this point...bring it on! Be as mean as you'd like because I'm not coming back to this story, so I have no way of yelling at you. Because if it makes me mad I wont respond personally because I'll get myself into some trouble

I hope this story was at least satisfactory. I know I haven't been good on updating this story, so I thank you with all my heart for dealing with it.


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